Nebraska congressional candidate Denise Powell said high child care costs are forcing families to make difficult tradeoffs between working, staying home, and covering other household expenses. A June 2026 WalletHub analysis ranked Nebraska as the most expensive state for child care relative to income for married-couple families, with center-based care costing about 13.6% of median annual income and family-based care about 10.7%. Powell, the Democratic nominee for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, has made expanding affordable child care and investing in child care centers a core part of her campaign platform.
