WASHINGTON DC- Rep. Billings attended the White House States Convening on Child Care alongside numerous experts, state leaders, and over 90 state legislators to discuss efforts to make quality child care more accessible and affordable for working families, increase the amount of affordable child care providers, and support child care employees.
“In conversations with child care providers and parents in my district, I’ve heard firsthand the challenges parents face finding child care they can afford. I understand how difficult this is, given that many parents are spending 20% of their household income on child care” said Rep. Billings. “These conversations also highlight the challenges that child care centers are facing in making the bottom line work.”
The Biden-Harris Administration has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to lowering the cost of quality child care, supporting providers, and ensuring a strong workforce. The President’s budget includes a $600 billion investment in child care and early education, and this convening takes place just one week after the Administration took action to lower child care costs for working families, proposing to strengthen the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) by capping child care copays at 7% of a family’s income. The Administration has also taken historical steps to improve the financial stability of child care providers through the American Rescue Plan’s $39 billion Child Care Stabilization program, which has helped more than 225,000 providers stay open for as many as 10 million kids across the country.
“I know legislators on both sides of the aisle are concerned about the lack of quality, affordable child care in our state” stated Rep. Billings. “I look forward to working in a bi-partisan manner to address this important issue.”
