A coalition of 85 national organizations sent a letter to Members of Congress highlighting the urgent need to ensure the reconciliation package includes critical investments for child care. The letter comes as the Senate finalizes negotiations on a reconciliation package that, as it stands now, does not include any funding for child care.

From the letter to Members of Congress:

“Through federal relief dollars including those in CARES and the American Rescue Plan Act, Congress saved the child care system from complete freefall. These supports have temporarily staved off the worst of massive program closures, but the depths of the challenges are such that the early childhood workforce continues to face deep uncertainty and staffing shortfalls that are making child care harder for parents to find and afford.

Without immediate Congressional action to provide additional federal investments in child care and early learning, this dire situation is likely to worsen as states and programs realize that additional support is not forthcoming, and current federal relief funding is set to run out in 2024. In fact, 75% of child care providers say that the end of stabilization grants will be devastating to their programs. If left unaddressed, states will be facing an estimated $48 billion funding cliff, with New York alone facing a $2.3 billion cliff, which will have disastrous consequences for working families and the child care programs they rely on.

The letter was also signed by 5,416 providers, early learning advocates, and individuals from all 50 states.

Signers Include:

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Coalition of Labor Union Women, AFL-CIO, Educare Learning Network, Early Care & Education Consortium, Main Street Alliance, First Five Years Fund, National Council of Jewish Women, National Education Association, National Employment Law Project, National Head Start Association, Save the Children, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Start Early, YMCA of the USA, YWCA USA. ZERO TO THREE