Quality, affordable child care
Families want and need access to quality, affordable child care that offers their children a safe environment, nurturing relationships with caring adults, and positive early learning experiences, while supporting their own ability to work. Yet our country’s already fragile, underfunded child care system is falling short of what babies, families, and child care providers need to thrive and our economy needs to stay strong. Congress temporarily stabilized the child care system with the COVID-19 pandemic, but that funding has expired. Robust federal funding is needed to prevent the child care system from collapsing entirely, and to strengthen it so that all families have access to high-quality programs where and when they need them; providers are well compensated for their skills and receive the supports that they need; and babies and toddlers arrive at school ready to learn and prepare for future success.