Washington, D.C. – Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (MA-5) released the following statement ahead of President Joe Biden’s anticipated infrastructure and jobs package proposal being released on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The package is expected to include several of Clark’s priorities, including universal pre-k and affordable, quality child care. 
 
“I’m thrilled that President Biden is recognizing what we have long known: child care is essential infrastructure. Just like our roads and bridges, child care fuels our economy and allows kids, parents, businesses, and our entire economy to thrive. During the pandemic, the child care industry crumbled and in turn, one million moms have been pushed out of the workforce. In order to truly ‘build back better,’ we must address this crisis with long-term solutions for every woman and family, including paid family leave, universal pre-k, and affordable, quality child care. I look forward to reviewing the details of the President’s plan and continuing to lead the fight in Congress to enact the policies that will allow our nation’s women to get back on their feet – and take the entire country with them.”
 
In June 2020, Clark introduced The Child Care is Infrastructure Act, a comprehensive child care package that makes critical investments in infrastructure, education, and workforce development to revitalize the child care sector. This bill was passed in July 2020 by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of their infrastructure package, The Moving Forward Act, and the Child Care for Economic Recovery ActThe legislation was re-introduced earlier this month in March 2021. 
 
The full bill text can be found here.
 
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