Dear John, $10,000 can buy a lot of things. Food, shelter, transportation. Tuition at a public university. Healthcare for your family. But in many states, it won’t even get you a year’s worth of child care. John, the average annual cost of child care exceeds $10,000 in the U.S. – and that’s per child. It’s a steep price, forcing many working parents to settle for lower quality programs or leave the workforce altogether. The Child Care and Development Block Grant program (CCDBG) helps kids access the quality care they deserve – but at current levels of funding, it reaches just 15% of eligible families. Send a message to Congress: we must increase CCDBG funding so parents can work to support their families, and children get high-quality early learning experiences. When affordable child care is out of reach, so are many families’ dreams for the future. Parents suffer mental and economic strain, while kids miss out on crucial development opportunities. CCDBG ensures a family’s income doesn’t determine their child’s quality of care. Parents can go to work every day knowing their kid is in safe hands, getting the strongest possible start in life. Until we extend this support to every family in need, countless caregivers will be faced with an impossible decision: their financial security, or their child’s future. Urge Congress to make big investments in CCDBG – and families across America. Thank you for being a voice for kids, | 
