Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) Aaron P. Bernstein | Getty Images

The current child care crisis: little federal funding, moms can't work, no freedom

Before we get into what Democrats' new bill would do, it's worth backing up and examining the existing shortcomings in American child care. Right now, no comprehensive federal child care program exists to truly give all families child care. States and municipalities have implemented their own patchwork of child care initiatives, but the bulk of the existing federal help for child care lies in one big federal program that gives money to the states and programs like Head Start. That leaves millions slipping through the cracks. Some flooring statistics are mentioned by a new report from the Center for American Progress that's accompanying the release of the bill: Low-income families with children spend about 30 percent of their incomes on child care. Moreover, only 15 percent of children eligible for federal assistance are receiving it because Congress hasn't given enough money to the federal agencies, according to CAP. One new analysis found that 2 million women likely didn't go to work this year because child care is so unaffordable. Then there are the problems with child care agencies suffering from insufficient funding and standards. Many child care programs also aren't well suited for working parents' schedules. Across five states, CAP said, only 26 percent of family child care was provided during evenings or weekends — creating huge obstacles for parents who have to work at night.

Democrats' new plan to fix the child care crisis