This week, Child Care Aware® of America and the Save the Children Action Network released the results of a nationwide survey that confirms for us what we’ve known since this crisis began:
Americans overwhelmingly believe that child care is a vital part of our lives and our economy, and we need dedicated funding to make sure we can weather this crisis. Child care is essential for so many families to be able to return to work, and their budgets are already being strained because of this virus. We have to ensure that all child care providers are able to open as soon as it’s safe to do so, so families can get back to work as soon as they’re able to.
For policymakers, the results of this survey underline the overwhelming support out there for taking bold and swift action to address the concerns of the millions of families who are suffering during this crisis.
Our child care providers are essential. They’re making sure frontline employees can get to work, and they’re doing everything they can to sustain our child care system so it exists for when we all can get back to work.
They can’t do it alone -- and a majority of Americans know that. Some key takeaways from the poll:
- 87% support providing enough federal assistance during this crisis to ensure child care providers are able to make payroll and cover other expenses like rent and utilities
- Support for funding is bipartisan—82% of Republicans and 94% of Democrats say they are in support
- 84% of lower and middle-income families (those hit hardest by this crisis) support federal assistance for child care
- 79% support the expansion of the child care industry to serve areas where child care resources are limited or non-existent
- 78% support the federal government reimbursing essential workers for child care costs paid during the coronavirus pandemic
- 78% support federal assistance to increase pay for child care workers who continue to offer services for children of front-line workers
- 77% support emergency funding to provide child care in the event of a national crisis like the coronavirus
Americans are sending a clear message to Congress that we need to do everything we can in this moment to be bold, and come up with real solutions.
You can help right now by reaching out to your legislators. Click here, fill out your information, and we’ll deliver your message.
Thank you for taking action.
