FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2014
Contact: Justin Unga
Phone: 202-225-2836
Email: Justin.Unga@mail.house.gov
Rep. Clark's Child Care Bill Incorporated In Senate Version And Headed to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. -- Congresswoman Katherine Clark applauded the U.S. Senate’s approval of the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program including provisions Clark sponsored in the U.S. House. The House’s September vote to reauthorize the CCDBG incorporated key provisions in Clark’s bill, the Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act, that provides states with strategies for improving the quality of child care. This marks the first time that Congress approved the CCDBG with specific language on how to improve the quality of care for children from birth to age three.
“This is a significant victory for working parents and our nation’s youngest learners,” said Clark. “Affordable, quality child care helps working families and gives children the strongest possible start regardless of where they live or their parents’ income.”
The Child Care Development Block Grant program is a federal program that provides child care subsidy grants for states to assist low and moderate income families with the costs of child care. In the nearly 20 years since CCDBG was last reauthorized, childhood education and child care programs have adapted to the latest research on child development. This 2014 bill reflects modern advancements and helps low income families pay for child care so they can return to work or school.
Research shows that at the earliest stage of a child’s development, quality care is critical for the development of cognitive and behavioral skills. Child care is among the highest single costs faced by American families, and the CCDBG program allows parents to join the workforce who otherwise would not be able to due to high child care costs. The Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act was Clark’s first bill introduced in the U.S. House.
Full text of the Child Care Development Block Grant Act of 2014 can be found here.
Full text of the Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act can be found here.
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