WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-3) for a press conference to reintroduce their Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation that tackles the child care crisis and ensures families nationwide can access the high-quality child care they need. Below is a transcript of her remarks:

“Thank you so much. What a pleasure to be here. I am so grateful to Senator Murray and to Congressman Scott for all their leadership and to all my colleagues for being here on this critical day. Today, Democrats reaffirm a basic but long denied truth: child care is as essential to our economy as our roads and bridges. It is not an accessory. It is not a luxury. It's the glue that holds our economy together. It allows kids to thrive, families to succeed, and our nation to prosper.

“The Child Care for Working Families Act is an investment in the livelihood of parents, the well-being of our children, the health of our economy, and the strength of our country. Democrats have already secured some key wins on child care. We kept providers afloat through the pandemic. We delivered urgently needed funding for Head Start. But the job is far from finished.

“In my home state of Massachusetts, child care costs a family nearly a quarter of an average family's income. A quarter. And our early educators, whose work enables all other work, can't afford to care for their own families while they're caring for ours.

“This is a full blown economic crisis. In every state. In every zip code. And for me, it's deeply personal. I remember what it was like to balance three children while caring for my parents who were very ill. But I had resources. I had paid leave policies. I had the ability to handle it. Caring for your kids – for your family – should not be a question of privilege. Having a family should not be a recipe for financial disaster.

“It's time to put our kids – our families – over politics. It's time to finally make this bill the law of the land. Because we know care can't wait. And it is my pleasure to yield to a leader who understands the urgency of this fight, is a voice for families, a child care champion, my friend from Virginia, Senator Tim Kaine.”

The Child Care for Working Families Act would tackle the child care crisis through the creation of three key programs: The Birth Through Five Child Care and Early Learning Program, a federal-state partnership to ensure all working families have access to child care. The Building an Affordable System for Early Education (BASE) Grants to ensure every state receives funding to support child care providers, increase worker pay, and improve access for families. And, The Universal Preschool Program to expand access to high-quality preschool programs. This bill would also provide funding for Head Start agencies to provide full school year and full school day services, and ensure Head Start and Early Head Start teachers and staff receive wages comparable to wages for elementary educators with similar credentials or at a minimum a livable wage.

For photos of the event, click HERE. To view the full press conference, click HERE. 

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