-Sarah

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sarah Yergeau
Date: September 12, 2023 12:01 PM
Subject: Tell Congress: We can’t leave families and children behind

Dear John,

We are on the brink of a total collapse of our child care system. During the pandemic, Congress included the child care sector in relief packages, providing necessary support for a usually overlooked industry comprised predominantly of women whose work is the backbone of our entire economy. And even with those funds, child care programs are still struggling to make a full recovery. In two weeks, that funding is going to expire, putting tens of thousands of child care programs at risk of closing, leaving millions of families without child care, and potentially costing the nation’s economy billions of dollars each year.

With funds running out on September 30, we need your help to prevent this looming crisis!

Access to affordable, high-quality child care is critical for racial and gender equity. We need an immediate investment to prevent closures, staffing shortages, and rising prices that will disrupt both families and our economy. States need to be able to sustain and build upon the improvements they’ve enacted over the past three years with pandemic funding. If this progress is rolled back, families of color, families with low incomes, and families in rural areas will bear the brunt of the effects. Congress has the power to fix this, right now.

Our families and caregivers are counting on us. Take action and tell your representatives to prioritize child care in the annual funding bills and pass emergency funding before time runs out!

In solidarity,

Sarah Yergeau
she/her/hers
Senior Manager of Campaigns, Child Care
National Women's Law Center