In response to introduction of the Child Care Is Essential Act in the House and the Senate, Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children, made the following statement: 

“We are gratified that Reps. DeLauro and Scott and Sen. Murray are pushing to devote $50 billion to the survival of child care providers and hope the bill succeeds in both houses. America cannot return to work until we secure safe, happy, and healthy care for our children. Child care is vital U.S. infrastructure, as crucial to our economy as transportation or electricity.”

First Focus Campaign for Children joined 44 other advocates in a letter to Congress earlier this month demanding that lawmakers devote at least $50 billion to stabilize our child care system. The group emphasized that our nation’s child care system is on the brink of collapse, with serious implications both now and in the future. Find full text of the bill at this link.