Illinois advocates urge Congress to pass the Child Care for Working Families Act to lower child care costs.
by Mark Richardson
Public News Service
Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families
The bill would fund grants to open new child care centers and guarantee higher wages for providers, in order to stabilize and grow the workforce. The two biggest programs in the bill, Child Care and Development Fund and Head Start, would receive about $12 billion each. Most House and Senate Democrats are backing the bill, while Republicans oppose it because of its cost. Knight noted many Illinois families, especially those in rural areas, live in so-called "child care deserts," where the supply is insufficient to meet the need. She stressed it forces working families to make hard social and financial decisions. "People are able to go to work if their child is being taken care of and also be able to take care of their family by not putting their whole paycheck to child care," Knight explained. She pointed out studies show children who get an early start on education perform better during their entire time is school and are more successful later in life. "Early childhood education is so beneficial to the children and families and being able to give them the access in any way we can," Knight added. "Helping the families or helping the centers will really benefit our future."
