Struggling to pay for child care? Gov. Ned Lamont wants to make it free for thousands of families – and he made a new push on Tuesday.

Many parents support the idea, but critics say the state can’t afford it.

Sarah Rosa quit her job to be a stay-at-home parent. It was a difficult decision.

“It made more financial sense to not have to pay for day care and just me be child care for our kids,” she said. “Because day care is so expensive.”

The cost of child care is soaring, which is why Lamont wants to offer universal pre-K. Families making up to $100,000 a year wouldn’t pay anything, and those earning up to $150,000 would pay a maximum of $20 per day.

“It gives that young mom, that dad, a better opportunity to get back to work – get back to work sooner,” Lamont said.

Lamont brought together experts and day care providers on Tuesday to sell his plan. Studies suggest that free child care pays for itself in fewer arrests, parents earning more and less special education spending.

“Special education costs money. Grade retention costs money,” said Walter Gilliam, executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute. “How much does grade retention cost? Exactly the cost of educating a child another year.”

Despite that, critics are slamming how Lamont wants to pay for the program.

His budget loosens the state’s volatility cap – which prevents lawmakers from spending “volatile” tax revenues like stock market gains – to create a new Universal Preschool Endowment. The initial $300 million would operate outside the state’s strict spending caps, known as “fiscal guardrails.”

“Republicans believe early childcare is very important. But this so-called ‘endowment’ is really an off-budget slush-fund,” state Senate GOP leaders said in a statement. “It’s also a fiscal guardrail breaker and a future tax hike creator.”

A competing proposal from Democrats avoids that issue, allocating up to $100 million per year within the state budget. That bill advanced out of the Legislature’s Education Committee on Monday. A third proposal would pay for child care with higher payroll taxes on large employers.

All three proposals also face an uphill battle, given the threat of steep cuts from the federal government.

“It’s an endowment,” Lamont said. “It’s not going to be a drag if we have a recession. It’s money that’s always there.”

Rosa said that free pre-K sounds great, but she isn’t sure it would lure her back to work.

“I think it at least opens up the door to have that discussion, but everybody kind of has to figure out what's best for them,” she said. “Parents need more support, I just think. Because we don’t live close to family anymore and parents are under a lot of stress.”

Lamont’s proposal is pending before the General Assembly’s spending committee.