Sens. Menendez, Booker Join Colleagues in Introducing Bill to Extend Vital Child Care Funding and Save Millions of Families’ Child Care Spots as Funding Cliff Looms | U.S. Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey

Child Care Stabilization Act Introduced to Extend Funding for Child Care Providers

Introduction

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Senate and House colleagues, have introduced the Child Care Stabilization Act to extend vital federal child care stabilization funding. The funding is set to expire at the end of this month, and this act aims to ensure that child care providers can keep their doors open and continue serving children and families across the country.

The Child Care Stabilization Act

The Child Care Stabilization Act proposes $16 billion in mandatory funding each year for the next five years. This funding will continue the successful Child Care Stabilization Grant program, preventing a potential crisis when the current funding expires. The investment will provide child care providers with a stable and reliable source of funding from the federal government, enabling them to deliver high-quality and affordable child care for working families nationwide.

Importance of Child Care Funding

“When parents have access to accessible, reliable, and affordable child care, they can have the peace of mind that while they are working to financially support their families, their children are being well-taken care of,” said Sen. Menendez. “Without the necessary stabilization funding, this will become impossible for far too many families. Child care centers across the country will be forced to either limit the children they care for, or close their doors altogether. This is why I am proud to introduce the Child Care Stabilization Act, alongside my Senate colleagues, to ensure child care centers receive the federal funding they need to continue providing these essential services.”

“The looming child care crisis threatens our children’s well-being, working families’ livelihoods, and our nation’s economy,” said Sen. Booker. “Child care providers will be forced to close their doors, which will be catastrophic for millions of children and their families. The Child Care Stabilization Act maintains access to affordable, quality care for families, provides children with a strong foundation, and is an investment in both their futures and our collective destiny.”

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Child Care Stabilization Act aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Potential Consequences of Funding Expiration

If funding for the child care sector is not extended, the consequences will be significant:

• Fewer families will be able to find and afford the child care they need to go to work and thrive.
• Child care programs may have to serve fewer children or raise tuition for families.
• Child care workers may face cuts in wages.
• Approximately 70,000 child care programs could close, affecting 3.2 million children and jeopardizing jobs for 232,000 child care workers.
• States could lose $10.6 billion in economic activity per year.
• Parents may leave the workforce or reduce their hours, resulting in an estimated $9 billion loss in earnings for families.

Support for the Child Care Stabilization Act

The Child Care Stabilization Act has garnered support from various organizations, including:

• National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
• ZERO TO THREE
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
• Children’s Defense Fund
• Save the Children
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• National Association for Family Child Care
• Child Care for Every Family Network
• Family Values at Work
• Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy
• MomsRising/MamasConPoder
• Oxfam America
• All Our Kin
• Community Change Action
• Prevent Child Abuse America
• American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
• AFL-CIO
• Small Business Majority
• First Focus Campaign for Children
• Parents Together Action
• United Parent Leaders Action Network (UPLAN)
• YWCA-USA

Statements of Support

“The entire country depends on child care. The clock is ticking. Congress must act before stabilization grants expire on September 30,” said Lorella Praeli, Co-President at Community Change Action. “The situation will worsen when another round of ARPA funds for child care expires in 2024. If Congress doesn’t act now, child care slots will disappear, child care providers and parents will be at risk for losing their jobs, and there will be more instability in every facet of our lives. As always women, especially women of color, and our kids will be hit the hardest. Our families, youngest kids, and the childcare workforce need a lifeboat. These grants saved nearly 10 million child care slots and protected more than 1 million child care jobs. The choice to pass the Childcare Stabilization Act should be easy.”

“The initial childcare stabilization funds were a lifeline for entrepreneurs working to keep their doors open during the pandemic,” said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO, Small Business Majority. “These funds proved critical for small business childcare providers, as well as small employers struggling to maintain their workforce. Allowing these childcare investments to expire will disrupt the entire small business community, disproportionately impacting under-resourced and rural small businesses. We proudly support the Child Care Stabilization Act, which will allocate the funding needed to stave off the looming childcare crisis while supporting working

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
• Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and the vulnerable.
• Indicator 4.2.1: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being, by sex.
• Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age, and location.
• Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
• Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 1: No Poverty	Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.	Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and the vulnerable.
SDG 4: Quality Education	Target 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.	Indicator 4.2.1: Proportion of children under 5 years of age who are developmentally on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being, by sex.
SDG 5: Gender Equality	Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure, and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate.	Indicator 5.4.1: Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age, and location.
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth	Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.	Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.	Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by sex, age, and persons with disabilities.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: menendez.senate.gov

 

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