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Statement

Progress! Today’s U.S. House Votes Will Help Child Care Programs Stay Open or Re-Open, Support Working Families, and Aid Our Recovery – If the U.S. Senate Does Same

July 29, 2020
Early Care & Education

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of leaders of MomsRising, an online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act:

“In passing two bills that make the significant investment in child care we urgently need, the U.S. House of Representatives took a bold step to stave off the collapse of our child care system, which would cripple our economic recovery. Without child care, parents are struggling to work and, as states continue to reopen, this will only get worse, making it impossible for many parents of young children to return to the workforce. Both the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act would ensure a $50 billion stabilization fund for the child care sector at this time when programs around the country are closing and the lack of quality, affordable child care has become a national emergency.

“Especially as we struggle to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, parents need safe, enriching places for their children so they can return to work, and children need safe, enriching early learning opportunities so they can thrive. These bills would provide grants and get funds to providers quickly, provide tuition and copayment relief to families, and prioritize providers that serve underserved populations. The country is counting on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass them in the U.S. Senate, too.”

--Statement of Nina Perez, national director for early learning, MomsRising

“Child care is essential if we are to reopen America. Before the pandemic, the child care system was hanging by a thread due to a history of insufficient funding, and now that thread is unraveling altogether. Without additional support, half of child care centers may close permanently by the end of this year.

“The U.S. House votes today will support and stabilize the child care industry, help working families, and make economic recovery possible – if the U.S. Senate passes these bills as well. In passing the Child Care Is Essential Act and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, the House recognized that recovery is impossible unless we support our child care system so parents can work, businesses and our economy can stabilize, and child care workers get the wages they deserve. We urge the U.S. Senate to quickly pass them.”

--Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and CEO, MomsRising

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.