Dem Women’s Caucus and Dads Caucus Rally for Child Care Action
***PHOTOS CAN BE FOUND HERE***
Washington, D.C.—Today, the Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Dads Caucus held a press conference outside the Capitol urging Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Republican leadership to act—including by holding a floor vote on the Child Care Stabilization Act—before the looming child care funding cliff on September 30th.
We are rapidly approaching a child care crisis that will be devastating for working families across the country. In 10 days, key child care funding will expire—and estimates from The Century Foundation suggest that more than 70,000 child care programs will likely close and approximately 3.2 million children could lose their child care spots.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus has led the charge in urging for action on child care, including by hosting a shadow hearing on the looming funding cliff, endorsing a letter to the President requesting funds for child care in any supplemental request, and requesting a strategy meeting with the President to address the child care crisis.
“We’re talking about tens of thousands of child care centers potentially closing, millions of kids potentially losing their child care slot and working moms struggling to stay in the workforce without the child care they need. That’s why the Democratic Women’s Caucus has been fighting for action. Our members have led the charge on the Child Care Stabilization Act to get the child care resources we need, and now we’re pushing House Republicans to act,” said Chair Frankel. “We’ve got the Dads Caucus alongside us, and we’re demanding that Speaker McCarthy put this bill on the floor and commit to getting working parents the child care resources they deserve.”
Rep. Sara Jacobs said, “House Republicans’ silence and inaction on the impending child care cliff is deafening. In San Diego, it’s already incredibly hard to find and afford child care, but allowing this crucial funding to expire would worsen the already-dire crisis and hurt women the most. It would force caregivers to leave the workforce and child care providers to close their doors, stifling the economic progress that we’ve made since the pandemic. That’s why we need to immediately pass the Child Care Stabilization Act to protect these jobs, this essential care, and our economic recovery. This is so much bigger than politics and I hope our Republican colleagues will join us in immediately passing our bill and extending this emergency child care support.”
“It is estimated that 3.2 million children could lose access to childcare nationwide when federal funds expire at the end of the month. That includes over 56,000 children in Michigan. Without immediate action to invest in the childcare, this will have dire consequences for working families. Childcare is essential, and the federal government must renew this critical funding,” said Rep. Tlaib.
“Child care is not just a mom’s issue or a dad’s issue, it is an economic issue, an infrastructure issue and—as evidenced by the union leaders and members joining us today—child care is a labor issue that impacts the ability for workers to do their jobs,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez, Chair of the Dads Caucus. “We are calling on House leadership to not only restore this essential child care funding, but to increase it and help more American families succeed. Our workers, our economy and our kids are depending on us.”
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