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Statement

Moms Group Urges Congress to Make Childcare a Priority

February 4, 2016

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

STATEMENT OF KRISTIN ROWE-FINKBEINER, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising, On the Child Care Access to Resources for Early-Learning Act
“MomsRising and our more than one million members across the country applaud and strongly support the Child Care Access to Resources for Early-learning Act (Child C.A.R.E. Act) that will be introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate early next week. This bill is an exciting step forward in expanding access to affordable, high-quality childcare. Parents need safe, enriching places for their children to be so they can go to work, and children need safe enriching places to be so they can thrive.
 
“Parents across the nation have spoken: the skyrocketing costs of childcare are breaking their budgets. For many families, childcare costs more than housing, college tuition, transportation, or food. This hurts families and the economy alike. It is time for Congress to take action.
 
“If passed, the Child C.A.R.E. bill would provide much needed relief to struggling families and a boost to our economy. This legislation would invest new funds to guarantee high quality childcare for infants and toddlers from low-and moderate-income families, enhance support for parents and children, and strengthen program quality and support for childcare providers. 
 
“Making childcare a priority is a critical and smart investment for children, families, and businesses. Children who have high-quality early learning experiences are more likely to succeed in school and graduate from high school. As adults, they are more likely to gain stable employment, and are less likely to be arrested. Moreover, for every $1 invested in high-quality early learning there is a later return of $8.
 
“This bill is a win-win-win. Investing in early learning helps kids, parents, businesses, and our economy. We urge Congress to step up and pass the Child C.A.R.E. bill to make sure all kids have access to affordable, high quality childcare.”
 

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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.