(WNY News Now) Senator Kirsten Gillibrand proposes legislation to contribute $100 million in federal funds to strengthen the workforce and expand facilities in order to address the growing lack of affordable child care.
Washington, D.C. To present her bipartisan legislation to address the national lack of affordable child care, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand hosted a virtual press conference. Compared to all but four states, nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers reside in areas with inadequate access to child care. Under Gillibrand’s measure, states would get $100 million in federal cash over five years to construct or expand child care centers and assist in developing a skilled workforce.
Working parents must have access to high-quality, reasonably priced child care, but millions of New Yorkers are unable to do so due to a severe lack of workers and facilities, according to Senator Gillibrand.I am pleased to present this bipartisan legislation to support the construction or expansion of child care facilities in underserved regions as well as the recruitment, training, and retention of child care professionals. To finish this, I’m determined to work across the aisle.
The Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act would give states competitive workforce development grants and facilities grants to help address the lack of trained child care professionals and affordable child care. A variety of job training activities, including providing scholarships or tuition subsidies, purchasing textbooks, equipment, or other necessary educational materials, or paying for other education and referral expenses required to boost labor participation in the state’s child care industry, can be funded with flexible workforce development grants. Child care facilities could be built, expanded, or renovated with the help of facilities grants.
Projects that increase access to child care in child care deserts—areas where the number of children under five is more than three times the number of available slots with state-licensed local child care providers—would be given priority. According to this criteria, 73 percent of people in rural areas and 64 percent of New Yorkers reside in child care deserts. There are particularly severe shortages in Herkimer, Lewis, Wyoming, Oswego, and Jefferson counties.
Senators Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) are co-sponsors of the bill, which is led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).