The Senate is set to take a vote this week on a sweeping package that bundles six separate funding bills to avert yet another government shutdown, including support for child care and early learning in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026.
Child Care Aware® of America urges Congress to take action to protect the health, safety, and well-being of young children and families.
First, the Senate should separate the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act from the remaining appropriations bills so that the bipartisan funding agreement for child care and early learning and other needed services can proceed without interruption.
Second, the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are directly harming the well-being of young children and families. Every child in America, including the 1 in 4 that live in families where one or more parents were born outside of the U.S, should feel safe to go to child care and school, go to their doctors, play with their friends, and engage in community activities. Congress must work together to find an appropriate path forward for DHS appropriations.
Child Care Aware® of America CEO, Susan Gale Perry, issued the following statement: “Families with young children across America are struggling to make ends meet and keep their children safe, healthy, and learning. Congress has the tools to act this week to support them by advancing funding for child care and other critical services, while separately working on a path forward to change course on ICE's actions. We urge them to do so.”
