ZERO TO THREE Applauds Biden Administration Action to Lower or Eliminate Child Care Costs for More Than 100,000 Families
Calls on Congress to increase federal funding for the Child Care
Contact:
Joe Weedon
(202) 277-9410
jweedon@zerotothree.org
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Miriam Calderón, Chief Policy Officer at ZERO TO THREE, thanked the Biden Administration for taking action to reduce barriers to child care for working families. The new rule, announced by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the White House today, strengthens the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, the largest source of federal funding for child care, which supports over 1 million children and their families each month with child care assistance.
“The administration’s action today is a much-needed step forward, reducing costs for families and making it easier for families to enroll in the child care subsidy program. The new rule will also make it easier for providers to participate in the program, stabilizing these businesses and expanding options for families.
“Additional federal funding is needed, however, to guarantee assistance to every family that needs support accessing and affording a quality child care option and ensure early educators are compensated fairly for their important work. Congress should take immediate steps to act on the Administration’s request for additional funding, including $16 billion in emergency funding to stabilize child care businesses and a $1 billion increase in CCDBG appropriations. The Administration has also proposed $600 billion to build a comprehensive child care and early learning system that will help babies, families, and providers thrive and support our businesses and a strong economy.
“Addressing our nation’s child care challenges is a key priority for families across the country and parents hold the government accountable for addressing child care challenges, such as long wait lists, high costs, and limited options. There is bipartisan agreement among both parents who voted Democrat in 2022 (94%) and those who voted Republican in 2022 (90%) that Congress should prioritize the needs of children and families in the upcoming federal budget. We are counting on Congress to work with the Administration to listen to families and early childhood professionals who want their elected leaders to expand funding for child care.”
Last year, the Administration issued a historic Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Support Caregivers. Today’s action is a further step towards the implementation of a comprehensive plan to enhance and support the nation’s child care system. Earlier this week, the Department of Education issued guidance reaffirming that Title I funds may be used for preschool services, including serving eligible children from birth to age three.
