Bonamici, House Members Urge Leadership to Include Emergency Child Care Legislation in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Bonamici, House Members Urge Leadership to Include Emergency Child Care Legislation in Next COVID-19 Relief Package
Washington D.C. [08/05/2020] –Today, Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) and Katherine Clark (MA-5), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joined with Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), Richard Neal (MA-1), Danny K. Davis (IL-7), Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) and 59 other members of Congress to call for the inclusion of both the Child Care is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act in the next coronavirus relief package.
The two bills were passed by the House of Representatives last week and would improve access to affordable, quality child care for working families and support a robust economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis through the creation of a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund and other critical federal investments and tax subsidies.
"Child care is foundational to our economy and working families, and I'm proud to be fighting to save the child care system," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "Right now working parents, many of them women, are desperately trying to find safe care for their kids so that they can continue working and keep food on the table and a roof overhead. It doesn't have to be this way: the House has already passed two bills that would help families, providers, and early childhood educators tremendously. These bills must be included in the next relief package to support the millions of working families and thousands of child care providers who are hanging on by a thread."
In the letter to House leadership, the Members write: "Child care is too essential to fail. The upcoming stimulus must invest in child care so that we can stabilize and secure American families and our economy. In order for our economy to recover, and for working families to return to work, the next supplemental package must include at least $50 billion in immediate child care stabilization funds and long-term investments to ensure access to quality, affordable child care for workers. The House passed H.R. 7027, the Child Care is Essential Act and H.R. 7327, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act in a bipartisan manner. This was a monumental first step. Passing those bills as part of the upcoming stimulus package must be a top priority so that we can begin the hard work of rebuilding and revitalizing our future."
The COVID-19 recession has had a devastating impact on the child care industry, our economy, and working parents. Since March 2020, 60 percent of all child care providers across the nation were forced to shutter completely and have lost months of revenue. Now, 70% of all child care centers are incurring substantial, additional costs for staff, cleaning supplies, and personal protective equipment. This dramatic shortfall in revenue has disrupted the nation's child care sector to such an extent that the National Association for the Education of Young Children estimates 40% of child care providers could close permanently without federal assistance.
The full text of the letter isavailable here.
A fact sheet on the Child Care is Essential Act can be found here.
A fact sheet on the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act can be found here.