Child Care Aware® of America is partnering with Parents magazine to urge Congress to focus on the child care crisis. Click here to see the article in the December issue of Parents. The federal law that allocates funds to states for child care is the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). It has very few rules to ensure that children are safe in child care and that the settings that children are in promote their healthy development. The law has not been updated since 1996.
Did you know?
- Child care laws vary by state. Most states fail to earn a passing grade on even the most basic of health and safety protections for children according to state licensing reports by Child Care Aware® of America.
- CCDBG does not require background checks for child care providers.
- CCDBG does not require minimum training for child care providers.
- CCDBG does not require inspections of child care programs.
Our nation-wide parent polling over the last several years shows that the top two concerns that parents have about child care are: quality and affordability.
It’s time to let Congress know that child care is important to working parents. You can help make a difference by urging your Members of Congress to reauthorize and strengthen the law. This should be a bipartisan issue: As Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) told the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families earlier this year, “It is absolutely crucial that we make a national commitment that safe and quality child care is available everywhere.”
Taking action couldn’t be easier! Visit our action center to send an email to your Members of Congress today. Child care should be safe. It should be affordable. It should promote the healthy development of children so that one day they start school ready to learn!
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