JOIN US IN ASKING YOUR LAWMAKERS TO PRIORITIZE SUBSTANTIAL FUNDING FOR CCDBG
Federal child care relief offered our nation’s families, businesses, and providers a lifeline that they desperately needed. But, the federal government’s role in keeping tens of thousands of child care providers in business – which allowed millions of parents to go to work – also put a bright spotlight on the foundational flaws of our nation’s child care sector.
Without question, the relief funding passed by Congress during the COVID crisis was effective in temporarily stabilizing the child care market and preventing it from collapse during the pandemic. But as states are now creating their budgets and relief funding is soon coming to an end, states are finding themselves facing an estimated $48 billion funding cliff upon expiration of the federal child care relief funding.
That is why lawmakers must work now to strengthen and invest in our existing core federal child care program – CCDBG – before it’s too late. Right now, current federal programs like CCDBG are critical to supporting access to the child care options working parents desperately need to be able to go to work or school – but they only reach a fraction of the families who qualify for the program due to limited funding.
There is broad, bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill over the need to double CCDBG funding. That is why we are asking you to join us in calling on Congress to build on this bipartisan support and include a substantial funding increase for CCDBG to help reach the goal of doubling funding for this critical program. Additional federal investments are critical to ensuring this essential, life-changing early childhood education program reaches more eligible children and families across the country.