Obama wants to triple child-care tax credit

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 15 (UPI) -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday that tripling the maximum child-care tax credit up to $3,000 per child is a "good investment."

Speaking at a town hall event in Charlotte, N.C., before a group of female bloggers, Obama said the proposal was included in his budget package.

It "would translate to potentially an additional $900 a year for child care and that's going to make a big difference in a lot of families," he said, adding that it should be a top budget priority at the federal level.

Obama said it's in all Americans' best interest to make sure the country's children have the necessary care while their parents are working.

Speaking about the 8-year-old son of the woman who asked about the credit, Obama said, "If he's doing well, that means he's paying taxes, that means he's contributing to society, he's staying out of trouble. That's a good investment for me.

"We want to make sure that those families that are working hard, doing the right thing, they get some tax relief," he concluded. "We can afford this."