Letter of Support of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act

We are heartened by the swift action Congress has taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic and encourage the senate to take additional action to address the needs of infants and toddlers. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will provide benefits to more than 65 million workers. This legislation is an important first step that will provide critical supplemental resources to address this pandemic and represents a down payment on what American families and the economy needs to weather this public health event. We strongly urge the Senate to take up and pass the House version of this bill, which contains crucial support for families struggling with both the public health as well as the extended economic disruptions of COVID-19.

The FFCRA contains several key policy proposals that will bring needed stability to infants, toddlers, and their families as well as address the many concerns we are hearing from families and communities across the country. Recently, ZERO TO THREE surveyed our national network of parents about how COVID-19 was impacting them in their communities. The stories they tell bring important clarity as to why the Senate should pass the FFCRA right away. We have compiled these stories and included them below with the key specifics of why the FFCRA is so necessary for babies and their families.