Neighborhood House’s Post

#CHILDCAREMATTERS With the end of federal COVID-19 relief stabilization funding, the child care industry faces grave challenges to its ability to offer a sufficient supply of affordable care to working families—with another cliff on the horizon in September 2024 as the CCDBG expansions from the pandemic also wane. In the absence of federal funding, state investments can go a long way in providing relief to the sector. Additionally, it is important that states are investing to prepare their systems to accept and effectively implement the future robust federal funding that is needed to transform the sector.

🚨 Urgent Update: Child Care Crisis Looms 🚨 As federal pandemic funding for child care providers ends, we face an impending crisis in the child care industry. Thousands of child care providers may be forced to close their doors, leaving millions of children without care and parents struggling to balance work and family. While some states have stepped up their funding for child care programs, it's not enough to bridge the gap left by the federal aid expiration. Low wages, high turnover, and burnout still plague the system. Child care is essential, and we need both federal and state investment and policy support to ensure its sustainability. Even states that have taken proactive measures can't do it alone. #ChildCareCrisis #SupportChildCare 📖 more: https://ow.ly/rBh350PVbXh

The US child care industry was in distress before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Families either struggled to pay for or had no access to care, and providers were not able to attract or keep assistants because they couldn’t offer a livable wage and benefits.¹ Then the pandemic forced an estimated 20,000 child care centers to shut down. Federal stabilization grants helped support the remaining child care providers, but those funds are set to expire on September 30. As a result, an additional 70,000 child care centers are expected to close. Where will this leave the families, children, providers, workforce, and industry as a whole? The BUILD Initiative spoke to providers to get their thoughts on this dire situation. Read more... https://ow.ly/HQI350PQFH1 #FamilyChildCare #ChildCareProviders #ChildCareCrisis

In this summary of the RAPID special report, What Caregivers Want Policymakers to Know, First Five Years Fund writes that parents and child care providers want elected officials to know that families are struggling, and the time to act is now. Improving the accessibility and affordability of high-quality child care can be achieved through increased government investment, and sustained policies aimed at improving families’ health and well-being would advance child development. It is critical that elected officials enact change to support families, early learners, and child care providers. https://lnkd.in/g4i8MK6e

WEBINAR: New Rule to Improve #ChildCare Access, #Affordability, and #Stability in CCDF - Thu Mar 7 #NJ | The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Child Care (OCC) announced a new rule that will lower costs for families that receive child care subsidies, improve payment practices to child care providers, and increase families’ child care options. Learn more here.

In 2022, Kentucky addressed child care staff shortages by offering subsidies to child care workers for their own children, a solution that has since been adopted by several other states to tackle the challenge of retaining quality early childhood providers. Learn more about how these policies are benefiting the ECE workforce from NEW AMERICA FIRST FOUNDATION below. #childcarecrisis #childcaresolutions #larimerthrivebyfive

Demand for subsidized child care slots already surpasses supply in some places, so why would states want to increase demand further? Our latest blog explains how well-funded, well-structured subsidy systems can increase the supply and quality of child care for everyone.

Check out this article from Spotlight PA covering the child care crisis. It's time to invest sustainable state funds dedicated to retaining and recruiting child care teachers. #FundChildCare to #FixChildCare #Workforcebehindtheworkforce

Change starts with awareness! "A Century Foundation report in June estimated that over 70,000 child care programs, or about one-third of those that relied on funding from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act passed in March 2021, could close. That amounts to about 3.2 million children losing child care." It's time for businesses to step up and support their working parents. Child Care Benefits like TOOTRiS make it easy, accessible, and affordable so you can retain and recruit top talent. #childcarecliff #childcarebenefits https://lnkd.in/gQUnjKjs

Joint Economic Committee (JEC) SUSTAINED CHILD CARE FUNDING IS CRITICAL TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND THE U.S. ECONOMY [14 September 2023] https://lnkd.in/gfFZmjCm or https://lnkd.in/gT6gYUsy   [excerpt] The American Rescue Plan, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) of 2021 provided critical support for the child care industry and, by extension, all parents and guardians who rely on it. However much of this funding is expiring at the end of September 2023. Additional long-term funding is needed to increase the wages paid to child care workers, increase the number of child care staff, ensure sufficient child care availability, and reduce the high cost of care for parents who work. Many families sit on waitlists for years—often joining them before their child has even been born—to ultimately pay tens of thousands of dollars annually once they get a coveted spot. Many other families, particularly in rural areas, never find available and affordable child care in their community. Growing and stabilizing the child care industry will improve the lives of millions of families, children, and care workers. It will also grow the U.S. economy now and in the future.