The Surprising Election Issues Working Families Care About Most

So much hinges on this year’s presidential election, but partisan divides and candidate personalities often cloud what's really at stake for families.

That’s why Fatherly, a lifestyle website catered toward millennial dads, set out to conduct its 2016 Election Survey of 1,233 parents. Fatherly wanted to learn more about the concerns of young families and what they think our nation’s next presidential administration should prioritize. The Democrat/Republican ideological split of the respondents reflected the political leanings of Americans overall.

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It turns out that parents are most concerned about whether policies enacted by future leaders will ensure that their children will have a quality education. Their second greatest worry, however, is whether they will be able to maintain work-life balance.

Work-life balance ranks higher than trepidation about whether parents will earn enough money to support their families, afford college tuition or be financially prepared for a health crisis or serious illness, Fatherly found. And the least of their fears is that a family member will be a victim of a terrorist attack.

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Office culture and personal convictions are not the only factors that influence work-life balance. Paid time off and affordable daycare options that allow parents to prosper, rather than sacrifice their careers, are both crucial aspects. Family leave and child care policies are on the table in this election, though they receive far less attention than inflammatory comments and dubious ethics surrounding the two major-party nominees.

Only about 20 percent of young parents surveyed said they believe that their kids will grow up to be better off than them, while 44 percent believe their children will be worse off, according to the Fatherly survey.