Legislation Would Help Expand Access To Affordable Child Care & Pre-K Programs
Recent Data Finds The Cost Of Child Care Has Increased 220 Percent Over The Last Three Decades
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen helped introduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to address the shortage of affordable child care providers and pre-K programs in Nevada and across the United States. The bill would help to lower the cost of child care for families, provide grants to cover start-up costs for new child care providers, support a living wage for child care staff, and provide states federal funding to expand universal local preschool programs in high-need communities. If passed, the average American family would pay no more than $10-a-day for child care–with many families paying nothing at all–and no eligible family would pay more than 7 percent of their income on child care.
A recent report from the First Five Years Fund found the cost of child care has increased by 220 percent over the last thirty years. A recent report labeled the entire state of Nevada as a “child care desert,” and found that nearly 75 percent of children below the age of five don’t have access to a licensed child care provider. The report deemed the cost of child care a “huge concern” in Nevada and found it often to be more expensive than college tuition. It also attributed the lack of affordable and accessible child care to the worker shortage that Nevada businesses have reported experiencing.
“Rapidly rising costs and a severe shortage of affordable child care options are financially squeezing parents in Nevada,” said Senator Rosen. “This crisis demands action, which is why I’m proud to help introduce legislation that would help to lower costs and increase access to quality child care in our state and across the country. I will continue working to give our children the care and support they need and hardworking Nevada families the financial relief they deserve.”
Senator Rosen is working to lower costs for Nevada’s families with efforts to expand access to affordable child care across the state. Earlier this year, Senator Rosen introduced the bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act to increase the availability of affordable, high-quality child care to working families by allowing non-profit providers that qualify as small businesses to participate in the Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program. Rosen recently visited a local Las Vegas child care provider to highlight the legislation and urge Congress to swiftly pass it.
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