社区黑料

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts gathered with child care activists and other House Democrats at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol.

Child care providers with the Care Can鈥檛 Wait coalition discussed their support for the Biden administration鈥檚 supplemental funding request, which has not been acted upon yet in Congress.

The Care Can鈥檛 Wait coalition includes organizations such as the Service Employees International Union and Community Change Action.

Community Change Action is a group advocating for 鈥渓ow-income people, especially low-income people of color,鈥� according to the organization鈥檚 . Members of the coalition also spent the day lobbying lawmakers in a call for action on child care funding.

Other Democrats showing support at the press conference included U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon, Lois Frankel of Florida, Sara Jacobs of California and Joaquin Castro of Texas.

Other funding running out

With pandemic-era American Rescue Plan funds expiring, the White that Congress pass $16 billion in supplemental funds to help continue support for child care providers.

This funding would 鈥渟upport more than 220,000 child care providers across the country that serve a total of more than 10 million kids,鈥� according to a .

Jeffries said House Democrats will do 鈥渨hatever it takes鈥� to support child care providers. He said Democrats will 鈥渟tand strongly and fight鈥� for 鈥渢he entire amount of funding.鈥�

鈥淲e are going to continue to show up, we are going to continue to stand up, we are going to continue to speak up,鈥� Jeffries said, 鈥渦ntil we are able to secure here in the Congress $16 billion in funding necessary to allow the child care system to continue to function in a dignified fashion.鈥�

Clark said that without this supplemental funding, 鈥渨orkers will be laid off, kids will lose their classrooms and parents will have nowhere to turn.鈥�

DeLauro said many families are 鈥渁ccepting lower household income and a lower standard of living in order to stay home and take care of their children.鈥�

Bonamici called for a bipartisan effort to pass the Biden administration鈥檚 supplemental child care funding request.

鈥淲e must work together and save childcare because care can鈥檛 wait,鈥� Bonamici said.

Struggling to afford care

BriTanya Brown, a Community Change Action member and child care provider from Texas, said she struggled to afford child care for her own children.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 afford to put my children in care,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淭here were no care options available.鈥�

Brown said her limited options for child care are because of a teacher shortage. Many teachers 鈥渄o not have rising wages to support their own families,鈥� Brown said.

Brown said it is important for children to have 鈥渁n equal opportunity for the highest education.鈥�

Maria Angelica Vargas, a child care provider from California and SEIU member, said families struggle to get the 鈥渁ffordable child care they need.鈥�

鈥淟et鈥檚 make sure families have access to affordable, high quality child care by investing in our child care systems through additional emergency funding,鈥� Vargas said.