NWLC Expert Testifies in Front of House Subcommittee on Child Care Affordability, Trump’s Recent Child Care Attacks
Washington, DC – Today, the vice president of income security and child care at the National Women’s Law Center, Amy Matsui, testified before lawmakers about the urgent need for robust, sustained federal investments in child care.
Watch the full hearing here.
Matsui forcefully challenged the overreliance on the tax code as a solution to the nation’s child care crisis.
“The bottom line is that we cannot tax credit our way out of a broken child care system,” Matsui said in her testimony before the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, where she was the sole Democratic witness. “We cannot expect large-scale results from small-scale solutions. Families and early educators need and deserve more.“
In response to a question from Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) on the administration’s decision to freeze federal child care funds in five states led by Democratic governors, Matsui warned of the far-reaching consequences of the move.
“The Trump administration’s response really threatens significant harm to hundreds of thousands of children, to families who rely on child care, and also to providers,” Matsui said. “Freezing funds for entire states [based] on unsubstantiated allegations has created… significant uncertainty and delay and fear both among providers and parents.”
Matsui went on to highlight how these unsupported fraud claims have created an unsafe environment for children.
“Allowing and taking unprecedented action like this on unsubstantiated allegations really has given license to . . . vigilantes to go to child care providers both in Minnesota and in other states,” Matsui said. “We really do not want a situation where random people are knocking on provider’s doors and asking to be let in.”
During the hearing, Matsui discussed the need to expand other supports for families, including the Child Tax Credit and paid family and medical leave. She also underscored the importance of enacting the Child Care for Working Families Act, which would help families afford child care, expand access to high-quality options, stabilize the child care sector, and provide early educators a livable wage.
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