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Dear Friend,
Today might be Halloween, but the only truly spooky thing I see is how unaffordable child care is in the United States.
You see, I was just catching up with my college BFF the other day about all the usual things. Work, the weather, and of course: our kids. We both have two kids 5 and under. She, however, lives in one of the most expensive counties in the COUNTRY to raise children, and she’s spending a whopping $3400 a month on child care for her two and four-year-old kiddos.
Did you read that right? Three thousand. Four hundred. Dollars. EACH. MONTH. My jaw literally dropped. This is NOT okay. Let’s pick up our jaws from the floor and do something about it because our kids only deserve treats -- NOT tricks -- when it comes to their care.
Luckily my friend has the resources to piece together care for her children, however, many other families don’t have this luxury. Not only do many families struggle to FIND child care, but as we know, affording it is quite another challenge. Infant childcare costs more than public college tuition in a majority of states, so it is no surprise that an astounding 83% of parents with children under the age of five struggle to afford care in our country. [1] Not to mention, a study recently released by the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that 77% of parents with children under the age of five report that lack of access to child care has negatively impacted their career advancement - meaning that this struggle is impacting future growth and economic security for millions of families. [2]
This isn’t just a financial gut punch to families, but also to the workforce and our economy!
Families deserve enriching child care options that won’t break the bank and will work for them, and childcare assistance is essential for helping families, especially low-income families, find and afford the high-quality care they need. SIGN NOW to urge Congress to increase funding for Head Start and the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in the FY 2020 budget!
High-quality early care and education (including programs like Head Start) are essential to meeting the needs of children and their families. It helps children get the solid start they need and their parents get and keep the jobs they need to support their families. This includes the workforce who are caring for our children while also trying to afford child care of their own -- early educators are some of the lowest paid workers in our country with a median income of just over $10 per hour, and rarely receive job-based benefits that support their health and well-being. [3]
So what gives? How can we help families find and afford the care they need?
Funding childcare is truly a no brainer. When we make these investments in high-quality early learning programs, the economic returns are HUGE — for every $1 invested in high-quality early learning there is a 13% return! [4] In fact, economists suggest that a significant investment in child care would increase women's overall labor force participation enough to boost GDP by roughly $210 billion, or 1.2%. [5] Now that’s what I call I no brainer!
So, when does this need to happen? Yesterday! Or more realistically, now. Last year, Congress made a historic increase to the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which helps struggling families afford childcare. [6] This increase was a much-needed and long overdue investment, but it was just a first step. Similarly, the Head Start program is reaching just 31% of eligible kids - and if you look at Early Head Start, that number drops to a pitiful 8%.[7] Unacceptable! Across the country, we have too many kids on waitlists, too many parents making difficult decisions about where to send their children when they go to work on school, and too many early childhood educators struggling to make ends meet. Prior to last year’s increase for CCDBG, the number of children receiving CCDBG-funded care had reached its lowest point in two decades. Even with the new funding, too many families still do not receive the help they need finding and affording high-quality child care – just 15 percent of children eligible under federal parameters receive child care assistance.
Families, like my college BFF, should not have to spend $3400 a month on child care. Families who are eligible for subsidized care should have access to this life-changing benefit. No early educator should struggle to afford to put food on the table.
As you hand out candy to trick-or-treaters tonight, remember that all kids deserve a strong start - and that YOU are a force for change for kids and families across the country.
*And, after you take action be sure to forward this email, share the action links on Facebook and Twitter to help build a movement that lifts us all. The more of us who take action, the faster we’ll get the solutions we need advanced through Congress.
Thank you for raising your voice, and have a safe and not-too-spooky Halloween!
- Donna HC, Nina, Elyssa and the whole MomsRising.org/MamásConPoder.org team
[1]"Affordable Child Care and Early Learning for All Families", Center for American Progress, 2018
[2] Ibid
[3] "From Unlivable Wages to Just Pay for Early Educators", Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, 2019
[4] "Invest in Early Childhood Development: Reduce Deficits, Strengthen the Economy", The Heckman Equation
[5] "Affordable Child Care and Early Learning for All Families", Center for American Progress, 2018
[6]"CCDBG: Helping Working Families Afford Child Care", CLASP, 2019
[7] Access to Head Start in the United States, the National Head Start Association
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