|
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the long-standing frailty of the child care system, which now teeters on the verge of collapse. The impact of the pandemic on child care has already been extensive and, without intervention, it will be difficult for parents to return to work, children will be left without critical supports for their health and well-being, and the millions of women who work in child care—disproportionately women of color—would lose their livelihoods.
Nearly 500 advocates and numerous policymakers have urged Congress to infuse $50 billion to support child care through the pandemic. In a new analysis, we estimate how much each state would get if $50 billion were allocated in the same way used to distribute child care funding in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This builds on a recent report co-authored by CLASP estimating that the monthly cost of sustaining the child care sector is $9.6 billion.
|
