Today, First Focus Campaign for Children, joined by over 90 organizations, sent the following letter to members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate urging them to ensure that cuts to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs remain out of the reconciliation process and to invest in the child care system children and their families need.
Excerpt from the letter:
Child care has immense benefits for young children, their families, and early educators. The opportunities children have during their early years play an essential role in reducing racial inequalities and directly impact their long-term health, well-being, and economic outcomes. Child care and other early learning programs also provide families with the opportunity to work or study; support an early learning workforce; and supply crucial infrastructure for the United States’ economy.
Any cuts to TANF and SSBG programs would threaten families’ access to child care. TANF and SSBG provide vital services and programs for families with low incomes, including child care, and children stand to lose the most if these programs are cut. Recent analysis shows that the potential elimination of SSBG and cuts to TANF would eliminate up to 40,000 child care slots across the country. This analysis shows that the states that stand to lose the highest number of child care slots are North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. Our child care system simply cannot afford these drastic cuts, and instead it needs investments to address the challenges families currently face in accessing care.