K-12 schools and child care should be on the abundance agenda 

Abundance has emerged as the early leader for political buzzword of the year. Right- and left-of-center thought leaders use it to describe increasing the supply of goods like housing and energy. Rather than government programs to redistribute  scarcity, the so-called abundance agenda seeks to address scarcity head on. American consumers stand to benefit from the kinds of thoughtful de-regulatory plans of abundance. 

So far, the abundance movement has generally overlooked key issues like child care and K-12 education in favor of housing and energy. However, caring for and educating children account for a large share of most American families’ budgets. 

Schooling and child care costs and the family budget 

According to Department of Labor, American families spent between $6,500 and $15,600 for full-time child care for one child, which comes out to roughly 9 to 16 percent of the median household’s income. Families with more than one young child often face child care costs that eclipse one-quarter of their income. For the poorest Americans, child care costs can be extreme. The Center for American Progress estimates child care costs cause more than 100,000 families to live in poverty. 

K-12 schooling options often consume a similar share of families’ budgets, if indirectly. Due to the residential assignment of public schools in many districts, parents often pay higher housing prices to live in communities with higher-quality public schools. Realtor.com estimates that homes near public schools with the highest scores on the GreatSchools cost nearly 80 percent more than similar homes that lack the same schooling options. 

Tennessee’s promising reforms to expand child care centers and K-12 school supply 

In 2025, the growing alliance of policy wonks focused on the abundance agenda should add proposals to expand the supply of new child care providers and new K-12 schools. They should look to Tennessee, where lawmakers are working to expand school options and enact reforms to increase the supply of child care providers, which will lower costs for many families.. 

The Tennessee General Assembly is considering two measures that could become models for the abundance agenda.  

The Learning Pod Protection Act 

Under the Learning Pod Protection Act, the state, local governments, and school districts would be prohibited from regulating or controlling “learning pods,” defined as “a voluntary association of parents who are choosing to group their children at various times or places to participate in, or enhance, their child’s [K-12] education.”  These are similar to microschools, which have become a popular option following prolonged public school closures during the pandemic. 

“Tennessee parents know what’s best for their children, and they deserve the freedom to choose the educational environment that fits their family’s needs,” explained Tennessee Majority Leader Jack Johnson. “The Learning Pod Protection Act ensures that families using learning pods aren’t burdened by regulations meant for traditional schools. It’s a strong step forward for parental rights, educational freedom, and protecting the flexibility that more and more families are looking for today.”

According to the National Microschooling Center, at least one million children are attending microschools or small schools that would qualify as learning pods across the United States. “Tennessee is home to some remarkably impactful and innovative microschools, where children from any number of different backgrounds are thriving,” explains Don Soifer, the center’s CEO. “But for a combination of factors tied to complex and outdated requirements designed with only more traditional schools of choice in mind, microschool growth has trailed much of the rest of the country. I would expect this new legislation to help overcome those obstacles.”

Modernizing child care regulations 

Tennessee lawmakers are also considering legislation to streamline child care regulations under specific circumstances, such as for providers that offer care for a small group of children only several hours per day. Under current law, short-term child care providers must comply with regulations and obtain a child care agency license. The bill would allow for more flexible child care arrangements and enable more providers to offer child care services.  For many families, the opportunity to obtain this short-term child care could relieve the costly burden of paying for full-time child care from licensed facilities. 

Leader Johnson told me his reasoning for sponsoring this legislation. “This bill modernizes outdated rules, removing burdensome regulations on child care and making it more accessible for families. Just as importantly, it protects the rights of homeschool families by making clear they are fully exempt from any form of child care regulation. It’s a thoughtful, balanced step toward meeting the real needs of parents and providers alike,” adding that, “I’m grateful to Governor Lee for bringing forward this legislation to expand access to child care across Tennessee.”

American parents need abundant child care and schooling options 

As thought leaders and policymakers reconsider unnecessary regulations that raise the cost of housing and energy, they should consider reforming regulations that drive up the cost of child care or limit schooling options. By creating more abundant choices for families, Tennessee’s new reforms should become models for lawmakers across the country.