Washington, D.C. — Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) reintroduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, a robust, bicameral bill, to improve the affordability and supply of high-quality child care and supports for professionals in the early childhood industry. The bill was first introduced in the 115th Congress and was reintroduced with a record number of co-sponsors in both the House and Senate. Katie Hamm, vice president of Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement to mark the reintroduction:
Child care is critical for working parents across the country and our nation’s economy. Yet, many families struggle with high costs and finding quality child care when and where they need it. The Child Care for Working Families Act would make child care affordable by capping the amount of money a family spends on child care at 7 percent of their income—with the median family paying no more than $45 a week. This bicameral bill would promote economic growth by allowing 1.6 million parents to enter the workforce, creating 700,000 new jobs, putting more money in families’ pocketbooks, and supporting child development. In state capitols and among American voters, we’ve seen that child care is a bipartisan issue. Last year’s bipartisan increase in funding for child care assistance was a good start, but it’s time for bold reform and robust funding to make affordable, quality child care a reality for all families.
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For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202-741-6292.