U.S. Senators Smith, Warren Applaud President-elect Biden’s Call for Emergency Child Care Aid in COVID-19 Rescue Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. [1/15/21]—Today, United States Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—both members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP)—issued the following statement regarding the child care provisions included in President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan: “Right now, child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open while a pandemic and economic crisis devastate a system that was already deeply broken. That is why we are glad that President-elect Biden has included strong support for child ca

WASHINGTON, D.C. [1/15/21]—Today, United States Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—both members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP)—issued the following statement regarding the child care provisions included in President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

“Right now, child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open while a pandemic and economic crisis devastate a system that was already deeply broken. That is why we are glad that President-elect Biden has included strong support for child care in his COVID-19 relief plan, providing the immediate relief that American families and child care providers desperately need,” said Sens. Smith and Warren.

President-elect Biden’s American Rescue Plancalls for a $40 billion investment in child care, including a $25 billion emergency stabilization fund and $15 billion for Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Combined with the $10 billion in child care funds from the December COVID-19 relief bill, the total amount equals the $50 billion for which Sens. Smith and Warren have been advocating.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Sens. Smith and Warren have been calling for immediate support for the child care industry:

• In August, Sens. Smith and Warren called on Senate leadership to prioritize the inclusion of their plan for a $50 billion child care bailout in the next COVID-19 relief package.   
• In May, Sen. Smith and Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), and Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)introduced the Child Care is Essential Act, which would create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund within the existing Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. 
•  In April, Sens. Smith and Warrenannounced their plan for a $50 billion child care bailout. 
• In March, Sens. Smith and Warren led their colleagues in urging Senate leadership to include support for the child care sector in the COVID-19 relief package that became the CARES Act.