Murkowski and Colleagues Push for More Support for Child Care Providers
Bipartisan Group calls on the Senate to bolster assistance for child care workers and providers in the next phase of COVID-19 relief
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), alongside Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and 19 of their Republican and Democratic colleagues, are calling on the Senate to provide additional support to child care workers and providers across the country.
In a letter to Senate leaders, the senators write: “…it is critical we provide additional support for the child care sector to ensure providers can maintain operations and continue to meet the needs of essential workers, and remain viable going forward as our country moves towards economic recovery.”
The bipartisan group of senators continue: “Even before COVID-19, one of the most common concerns we heard from parents, especially in rural areas, was the struggle to find child care. The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly worsening this situation and has led to a significant reduction in revenue for child care providers as many parents are now staying home with their children. Without additional support, the coronavirus will exacerbate child care deserts and eliminate what few options families have, even after the crisis. Americans in every state rely on child care centers. If a large portion of our nation’s providers are forced to permanently shut down, parents in all industries will be unable to return to work, significantly slowing our economic recovery as businesses begin reopening.”
“Child Care Aware® of America applauds Senator Ernst and her colleagues for speaking out about the need to provide robust, dedicated support for child care in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In order for family and center-based child care programs to weather this storm, additional resources will be needed.” said Ami Gadhia, Chief of Policy, Research, & Programs at Child Care Aware® of America. "A strong child care industry is essential to getting the American economy back up and running. Funding would not only help provide emergency care for the children of front line personnel in the immediate term, but would also ensure that the child care system is sustained to enable families to access child care as they return to work. We urge Congress to prioritize relief for child care.”
