Fair Share praises passage of childcare bill; 1.5 million children to benefit

We know that when children start learning early in life, they get a stronger start in school. And if they can do better in school, they are more likely to graduate from college and get a good paying job. A quality early education is a strong foundation for a successful life.

Research has proven it again and again, and the recent bipartisan passing of the Child Care & Development Block Grant shows this is something both Democrats and Republicans can agree on.

What it means
On Wednesday afternoon, Obama signed the Child Care & Development Block Grant, which will help low-income working parents obtain childcare for more than 1.5 million children under age 13.

The bill has been passed, but we are still waiting on funding to make these plans a reality. The legislation anticipates a 16.5% increase in funding over six years, and this money has yet to be allocated by Congress.

This would be an opportune time for Massachusetts to keep the momentum going, and to expand our early education programs, which could provide affordable, high-quality early education to more families.

National Women’s Law Center Co-President Nancy Duff Campbell summed up the importance of this program: “The Senate took an important step today to help families get access to the safe, stable child care that children need for their healthy development and that parents need to work. Too many children still lack early learning opportunities that prepare them for school…” With the funds in place, this has the potential to place many kids in early education programs that would not