John,

Congress is heading home this weekend with no mechanism in place to keep the government funded past September 30th. The House of Representatives has become so dysfunctional that the Senate is drafting its own continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running beyond September 30th and to avert a government shutdown.

We strongly urge the Senate to take this responsible step. But in their hurry to draft and pass a CR, we must not allow the Senate to forget about the urgent needs of vulnerable children and their families.

Critical funds for future generations are running out. In a few days, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that helped to stabilize the child care industry will expire. Over the coming months, more than 70,000 child care centers could close, leaving 3.2 million children without child care.¹ This will have a disproportionate impact on families in rural communities, families with low-incomes, families headed by single parents, and BIPOC families.

In addition, the WIC program needs more funding to ensure states, faced with funding uncertainty and increased demand, don’t start to turn eligible new parents and young children away or place them on waiting lists. Congress must increase funding for WIC and child care in their CR package.

We can’t allow our most vulnerable to suffer because of congressional dysfunction. Send a direct message to your senators and representative to add urgently needed funding for WIC and child care and pass a CR by September 30th.

The CR that was put forth by House Republicans earlier this week included indiscriminate cuts to essential human needs programs. A proposed 8% cut on non-defense spending, extended for the entire year, would result in:²

• 110,000 children losing access to Head Start

• 65,000 children losing access to child care

• 2.1 million women, infants and children being placed on waiting lists for WIC

• 40,000 fewer teachers, aides, and other support staff. This would impact 26 million low-income students and 7.5 million disabled students

• 5 million low-income households losing home heating and cooling assistance

The effects of these cuts will be felt for generations and will severely exacerbate income and racial inequity in this country. We must not only keep our government fully funded, but we must also prioritize critical nutrition, child care, and early learning programs for the betterment of our society.

President Biden has already requested additional funding for WIC beyond this year’s funding, which would resolve funding shortfalls for the full fiscal year. Congress must fulfill his request and provide an additional $16 billion per year in emergency child care funding.

We cannot allow our future generations to fall behind because of Congressional dysfunction. Click here to demand Congress fully fund WIC and child care in the continuing resolution and keep the government running.

Thank you for all you do,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹ Child Care Cliff: 3.2 Million Children Likely to Lose Spots with End of Federal Funds
² By the Numbers: Impacts of House Republicans’ Extreme CR 8% Cuts