Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014

Floor Speech

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Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, 3 weeks ago I held a policy panel on Women's Economic Equality in my district, and when the audience was asked how many of you have worried about the cost of child care, nearly every hand shot up in the air.

While the skyrocketing cost of quality child care in Massachusetts is among the most expensive in the country, with an average annual cost above $16,000, the problem is not limited to my home State. Across our country, millions of American families report child care as their highest expense--higher than rent or a college education for their children. Without a doubt, the cost of quality child care is now one of the biggest barriers to economic success facing women and families.

Knowing how critical child care is to American families, I am so heartened to see the House take action to reauthorize the Child Care Development Block Grant program, which provides grants to States to offer quality child care that is accessible to low- and moderate-income families. I am grateful that the quality child care provisions of my bill, the Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act, have been incorporated into this reauthorization.

As a working mom of three, I understand that parents want nothing more than when their children are in child care they are happy, learning, safe, and healthy. Millions of moms and dads across the country, however, are faced with impossible choices because of the lack of access to quality child care. More than 6 million children under the age of 3 are in care of someone other than their parents each week, and 46 percent of the children under 3 live in low-income families.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant and the quality provisions of the Infant and Toddler Care Improvement Act offer a vital lifeline and a path to the middle class for millions of families across the Nation. It is a necessary step towards true economic equality for women, and it gives our kids a great start.

Today's compromised bill is a strong first step, and I look forward to working together to strengthen access to quality child care. This vote is not controversial, nor is it partisan. It is a win for American families. I urge my colleagues to support the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, S. 1086, as amended, and I submit for the Record some support letters.

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