Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to Save Child Care

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for two bills late yesterday to provide emergency funding to child-care providers to keep them open during the coronavirus global pandemic.  The first bill, the Child Care is Essential Act (H.R. 7027), would create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund to provide grants to child-care providers to support them to reopen and operate safely.  The second bill, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act (H.R. 7327), would allocate funds for the child-care needs of essential workers during this pandemic.

“We need to support the child-care needs of our American families and essential workers during this public health and economic crisis,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr.  “But this is only the first step.  We need to include funding in future coronavirus stimulus packages to protect child-care facilities nationwide before they go out of business.  Americans are going to need quality, affordable childcare once we reopen safely and completely.”

Childcare has become a significant issue in America as thousands of providers struggle to survive the coronavirus crisis.  The Child Care is Essential Act would provide desperately-needed funds and grants to child-care providers to maintain employee benefits and salaries; train employees on health and safety standards to keep children and employees safe; make mortgage, rent, and utility payments; and modify child care services as needed as a result of the pandemic.

The Child Care for Economic Recovery Act would help essential workers access childcare and adult day care as well as provide grants to states to adapt, expand, and reconfigure child-care facilities and infrastructure in response to coronavirus.  In addition, the bill makes the child and dependent care tax credit fully refundable, increases the guaranteed funding level to states from $2.9 billion to $10 billion per year for the next four years and waives the requirement that states match the new funding in 2020 and 2021.  Also, it protects qualified child-care facilities from closure with a 50 percent refundable payroll tax credit for rent, mortgage, and utility costs.

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