Rep. Scholten to House Republican Leadership: Fund Child Care for Michigan Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) and her House Democratic Women’s Caucus colleagues are calling on Republican leadership to immediately provide additional child care resources to working families to avoid the looming child care funding cliff on September 30th.

In less than one week, key child care funding will expire, and 56,000 Michigan kids are at risk of losing their spots.

In the letter, sent last week, Rep. Scholten and her colleagues urge Republican leadership to fully fund child care programs, including by bringing the Child Care Stabilization Act for a vote and advancing an appropriations bill that increases funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant.

“Addressing this crisis should not be a partisan issue. Working parents are watching closely, and they do not want to see this looming child care crisis ignored. We urge you to take immediate action to prevent this catastrophe,” wrote the Members.

Read the full letter below and here:

Dear Speaker McCarthy, Majority Leader Scalise and Majority Whip Emmer,

We are rapidly approaching a child care crisis that will be devastating for working families across the country. In less than 10 days, key child care funding will expire—and estimates from The Century Foundation suggest that more than 70,000 child care programs will likely close and approximately 3.2 million children could lose their child care spots.

This worsening crisis will have a ripple effect across the entire economy, with a recent report from The Century Foundation showing that the upcoming funding cliff will cost states $10.6 billion in economic activity per year and cost families $9 billion each year in lost earnings.

The Democratic Women’s Caucus urges you to immediately act to provide additional resources for child care, including by bringing up the Child Care Stabilization Act for a vote and advancing an appropriations bill that increases funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Additionally, we urge you to work with us towards comprehensive long-term solutions, like the Child Care for Working Families Act, to bolster the care economy to prevent the need for future emergency spending.

Addressing this crisis should not be a partisan issue. Working parents are watching closely, and they do not want to see this looming child care crisis ignored. We urge you to take immediate action to prevent this catastrophe.

Sincerely,