A nonprofit is warning that billions of dollars in federal childcare funds will expire at the end of the month. A new bill was introduced in Congress that could restore that funding.
According to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, more than three million children will lose access to supervised care. Jamie Bussel is the Foundation’s Senior Program Officer.
“Policy makers must also do more to ensure that childcare is available to all families that need it. Childcare providers are valued and treated fairly, and that means that they are compensated fairly, and they are supported.”
This is a national issue as well as a problem in Florida.
“200,000 kids in the state of Florida are actually expected to lose their childcare, over 2,000 childcare programs are projected to close, and Florida parents will lose over 600 million in earnings as a result of being forced to cut work hours or to leave the workforce entirely.”
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says states like Florida could choose to expand access to childcare or it could happen at the Federal level. A new bill called the Childcare Stabilization Act would provide funds for care so that parents can remain in the workforce.
