Biden Executive Order Offers Crucial Support to Care Economy

In a Rose Garden ceremony on Tuesday, President Biden announced a sweeping executive order—touching practically every corner of his administration—that’ll support child care, paid leave, and the long-term supports and services vital to a strong economy that serves all families. This executive order will help address the care crisis that affects us all, with the heaviest burden falling on women who largely comprise the care workforce and particularly on Black and immigrant women caregivers who have been historically undervalued. The Biden-Harris Administration is doing its part; Congress should step up and provide the funding necessary to support a comprehensive care agenda.

An analysis of the Biden Administration’s FY 24 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows that the president has proposed increases in discretionary spending for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—the DHS agencies that oversee immigration detention, enforcement, and deportations.

In response to the fragile nature of the child care sector after decades of insufficient federal funding, CLASP and other child care advocates across the field have called for a $4.38 billion increase in annual discretionary funding for CCDBG.