Dear Member of Congress,
The struggle is real when it comes to finding high-quality, affordable early learning opportunities for our little ones. Childcare and pre-K costs are sky high—in fact, in 30 states and the District of Columbia, infant care costs exceed the average cost of college tuition. Approximately half of American families live in a “childcare desert”, meaning they can’t access the quality childcare they need. And early learning providers, 94% of whom are women, are struggling significantly since childcare is one of the lowest paying industries in the United States.
We need real solutions to this national crisis, which is why I am asking you to co-sponsor and support the Child Care for Working Families Act introduced by Senator Patty Murray, Senator Bob Casey, and Representative Bobby Scott.
The important piece of legislation would:
- Lower childcare costs for low-income and middle-income families to a maximum of 7% of household income through a sliding scale, regardless of how many children they have.
- Support universal access to high-quality preschool programs for all low- and middle-income 3 and 4 year-olds.
- Significantly improve compensation and training for the childcare workforce to ensure that our nation’s teachers and caregivers have the support they need.
- Assist parents in selecting the childcare provider of their choice—whether that be a center or family childcare home, friend, relative, or neighbor. In addition, improving care during non-traditional hours to help meet the needs of working families.
- Support for more inclusive, high-quality childcare providers and centers for children with disabilities.
- Help all Head Start programs meet new expanded duration requirements and provide full-day, full-year programming.
Stand up for our littlest learners, working families, child care providers, and our economy by supporting the Child Care for Working Families Act.
Thank you,