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Parents struggling to pay for child care in Texas and Louisiana are getting a boost courtesy of tax changes in their states.

A growing number of cities are passing tax increases to expand access to child care. The number of parents who reported missing work because of child care surged in 2020 at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak; it has yet to recede to pre-pandemic levels.

In New Orleans, voters approved a property tax increase, which raised the city's budget for child care. A marijuana sales tax approved last year by voters in Anchorage, Alaska, will generate more than $5 million for early childhood programs. Policy analysts say more people are noticing the link between the economy and child care.

Local governments are stepping in to assist parents facing child care hurdles. How are these efforts, funded by voters, changing the landscape?

For mothers without college degrees, a day without work is often a day without pay. An employment crisis among moms without a college degree is leaving many facing wrenching choices.