VIDEO: Senator Murray Reintroduces Comprehensive Child Care and Early Learning Bill to Ensure #ChildCare4All, Builds on Momentum from Washington State Stories

First introduced by Senator Murray in 2017, the Child Care for Working Families Act would ensure high-quality, affordable child care for working families in Washington state and across the country 

Senator Murray, a former preschool teacher, has been a longtime champion for improving access to high-quality child care & early learning – MORE HERE

Senator Murray has traveled throughout WA and spoken to parents, child care workers and providers about their experiences navigating the child care crisis – MORE HERE

The Child Care for Working Families Act would create 770,000 child care jobs, and allow 1.6 million parents go back to work

ICYMI—Senator Murray on MomsRising blog: “High-quality, affordable child care for every working family is an ambitious progressive vision—but if we keep making our voices heard, it will become a reality” – LINK

#CHILDCARE4ALL IN DC: Flanked by Senate Democrats, parents, and child care advocates, Senator Murray introduces the Child Care for Working Families Act during a February 26^th news conference at the U.S. Capitol.

***WATCH VIDEO OF SENATOR MURRAY’S REMARKS HERE***

(Washington, D.C.)  – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate education committee, led a group of Senate Democrats to introduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, a comprehensive early learning and child care bill to ensure affordable, high-quality child care for working middle class families and those living paycheck to paycheck. A former preschool teacher and longtime advocate for improving access to high-quality child care and early learning, Senator Murray traveled extensively throughout Washington state and heard from parents, child care workers, child care providers and advocates, and early learning professionals—learning more about their challenges accessing affordable, high-quality child care in their communities—to inform the legislation. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), the top Democrat on the House Committee on Education and Labor, introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

“All around the country, including my home state of Washington where I’ve heard from countless families and workers, parents are struggling to find and afford high-quality child care, and some are even being forced to work fewer hours or not work at all so they can take care of their children,” said Senator Murray. “I know we can do better—that is why I’m proud to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act today to ensure every working family has access to high-quality, affordable child care, and that our child care educators are paid what they deserve. This is not only the right thing to do for working families, but it’s a smart investment in our children, our future, and our economy.”

#CHILDCARE4ALL in WA: Senator Murray traveled extensively throughout Washington state to meet with parents and child care experts about her Child Care for Working Families Act, including (clockwise from left): parents, early learning professionals, and child care advocates in Richland; student parents in Longview; preschoolers and teachers in Vancouver;  and parents and child care workers in South Seattle—MORE HERE

First introduced by Senator Murray in 2017, the Child Care for Working Families Act would address the current early learning and care crisis by ensuring that no family under 150 percent of state median income pays more than seven percent of their income on child care. Families would pay their fair share for care on a sliding scale, regardless of the number of children they have. Families under 75 percent of the state median income will not have to pay anything at all. The bill would also support universal access to high-quality preschool programs for all 3- and 4-year olds. Finally, the bill would significantly improve compensation and training for the child care workforce to ensure that our nation’s teachers and caregivers have the support they need, as well as the children they are caring for, to thrive. Additionally, the Child Care for Working Families Act would jumpstart our economy by creating 770,000 new child care jobs and allowing 1.6 million parents, primarily mothers, go back to work. It would also lift one million families out of poverty.

Bipartisan support for child care and early learning is already building in Congress. Spurred by Senator Murray’s leadership, in March 2018 Congress agreed to the largest increase in child care funding ever, and continued the increased investments in child care while increasing funding for Head Start in the Fiscal Year 2019 bill.

Watch video of Senator Murray’s remarks from today’s news conference HERE.

Legislative text of the Child Care for Working Families Act can be found HERE.

Fact sheet on the Child Care for Working Families Act can be found HERE.