NWLC Releases Statement Ahead of Midnight Deadline for Child Care Funding Cliff
Washington, DC – Melissa Boteach, Vice President of Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning at the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), released the following statement hours before billions of child care dollars in the American Rescue Plan Act will expire. The expiration of this funding marks the next phase of the United States’ child care crisis, which is expected to cause skyrocketing prices for families and shrink an already limited child care supply.
“In a few hours, billions of dollars in critical pandemic-era child care funding will expire, putting at risk 3.2 million child care slots and likely raising prices for families already struggling to find and afford care.
“As child care funding dries up, programs will be forced to cut staff wages, raise prices, or close their doors completely – creating havoc for families and forcing women out of the workforce. But it’s not too late. I urge members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to immediately pass the Child Care Stabilization Act, which would help avert an economic crisis and deliver a much-needed win for families, educators, and our economy overall.”
NWLC recently led nearly 1,000 child care programs and advocates from all 50 states in sounding the alarm to Congress on the urgent need to pass $16 billion in emergency child care funding.
