Child Care Aware® of America Calls Federal Stimulus Support for Child Care a “Down Payment” and Urges More Funding to Serve Essential Workers
WASHINGTON, March 27, 2020 — Child Care Aware® of America released the following statement in response to the latest federal stimulus package:
“Congress has begun to acknowledge the essential role that child care plays during this public health emergency. This down payment of $3.5 billion, if distributed quickly, will provide much-needed help to the child care system in the short term. In particular, we know that this support can make a difference for the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies across the country that are working overtime to support the families of emergency and essential workers, the child care providers who are dealing with decisions to close or stay open, and the rapidly adapting system.
We are grateful to the thousands of parents, child care providers and others who contacted their Members of Congress over the past week to urge them to support child care in the federal stimulus package. Their voices reflect the reality of this emergency on the ground, and it is our hope that Congress will listen.
Health care workers in the U.S. have over 3.5 million children, according to a new interactive map developed by Yale University Professors Walter Gilliam and Eli Fenichel and available on Child Care Aware® of America’s website. These children need care in order for health care workers to respond to COVID-19, but 2.3 million of these children have no obvious child care providers available in the home.
Recovery from this pandemic will not happen without federal government support for the child care industry. Congress must not fail the providers and educators who make it possible for our economy to run. Additional funding for child care will be needed in the next stimulus package if we are serious about providing child care for our health care, emergency and other essential workers who are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, and ensuring there is a child care system at the end of this national emergency.”
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Child Care Aware® of America is our nation’s leading voice for child care. CCAoA works with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) and other community partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. CCAoA leads projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offers comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertakes research, and advocates for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit childcareaware.org. Follow CCAoA on Twitter @ChildCareAware and on Facebook at facebook.com/childcareaware.