Today, more than 11 million children under age 5 are in some type of child care setting every week while their parents work. On average, children of working mothers spend 36 hours every week in child care.A recent parent survey conducted by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) found that more than 50 percent of families with children under the age of 5 said the economy has impacted their child care decisions. Parents need to know that their children are in safe, high-quality care settings to ensure that they get the strong start they need to succeed in school and in life.
Parents’ Day is Sunday (July 25). It’s a great time to ask Members of Congress to honor parents everywhere by reauthorizing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the federal law that allocates funds to the states for child care.
With the President’s FY 2011 Budget proposing a $1.6 billion increase in child care – the largest one-year increase ever – Congress has a tremendous opportunity to reauthorize and strengthen CCDBG to improve the quality of care for all children.
Sending a letter to your Senators and Representative is easy. Click here for a sample letter – either revise it to include your own words or personal story or send it as it’s currently written.
On this occasion of Parents’ Day, let’s remind Congress that we want our children in child care settings that are safe and promote their healthy development!
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