House Passes Bonamici-Backed Bill to Stabilize Child Care

WASHINGTON, DC [07/29/2020] – Today the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation backed by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) to stabilize the child care system in response to challenges faced by parents, workers, and providers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Child Care is Essential Act would establish a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund to provide grants to child care providers who need support. The grants could be used to give tuition and copayment relief to families, as well as to help child care providers remain open by covering increased expenses.

Bonamici is an original co-sponsor of the bill and advocated for its passage on the House floor. Her remarks can be viewed here.

"Child care is one of the most urgent and stressful issues facing families during this pandemic, and stabilizing it will be a key factor in reopening our communities safely," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "I recently spoke about this with Oregonians who are struggling—parents, early childhood educators, and small business owners. I released a report urging support for the child care industry. As one mom told me, ‘if child care crumbles, if it even gets a fraction more difficult to find, then our collective ability to work crumbles too.'

"The child care crisis disproportionately affects women who, because of entrenched gender roles, continue to take on the majority of child care and household responsibilities. A lack of affordable child care reduces the ability of women to work outside the home, and expands the gender pay gap. This is also an issue of racial justice; many child care workers are women of color.

"I am grateful for previous stimulus efforts, but it is not enough. The Child Care Is Essential Act will provide immediate relief through $50 billion – which I'll note is less than the amount that went to the nation's airlines in coronavirus legislation. This is in direct grant funding to help child care providers cover operating expenses, purchase PPE and cleaning supplies, pay providers through the pandemic and beyond, and, importantly, give parents relief from high-cost copayments and tuition.

"Investing in our children now has long-term benefits for our families, communities, and economy."

A fact sheet on the Child Care is Essential Act can be foundhere.

Bonamici has long advocated for increased investments in the child care system, especially in the wake of COVID-19. She recently released an in-depth report on the state of child care in Oregon and across the nation, "Child Care in Crisis: Solutions to Support Working Families, Children, and Educators." The report was informed by conversations with Oregon child care providers, early childhood educators, parents, and other advocates. It contains many of their stories and outlines a legislative path forward.

In addition to advocating for the Child Care is Essential Act, Bonamicirecently led 23members in introducing a House resolution that calls for affordable, high-quality child care for all who need it. She also led a call for a$100 billion investment in child care, andhosted a roundtable discussion with local and national leaders about the importance of child care and the threats it currently faces because of COVID-19.

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