Senator Murray Wins Strengthened Investments in Child Care and Early Childhood Education

Senator Murray secures a funding boost for early childhood education programs including Head Start 

Senator Murray: “I’m pleased to see significant investments in programs to support our youngest learners” 

(Washington, D.C.) — Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced significant increases in investments in child care and early childhood education in the end of year spending package, including significant increases for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Head Start program. Additionally, the package includes a $25 million increase for Preschool Development Grants (PDG), a program Senator Murray fought for and secured in the landmark Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

“As a former pre-school teacher, I can tell you first-hand how critical the first years of a child’s life are to their growth and development, and I’m pleased to see significant investments in programs to support our youngest learners,” said Senator Murray. “All children – no matter where they live, or how much their family makes – deserve to start school with the foundation they need to succeed. This funding boost is an important step, but I’m not done fighting to make sure that all our kids have access to high quality, affordable child care and early childhood education.”

Senator Murray’s funding boost went to a variety of programs, including:

• a $550 million increase for Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), allowing states to provide child care to an estimated additional 44,000 children,
• a $550 million increase for Head Start,
• and a $25 million increase for Preschool Development Grants (PDG), expanding access to high quality preschool programs.

Senator Murray has long been a champion of child care and early childhood education in the Senate. In February, she introduced the landmark Child Care for Working Families Act, to ensure high-quality, affordable child care for working families across the country, expand access to high-quality preschool, and livable wages for our nation’s early childhood educators. Senator Murray has also long fought for increased investment in early childhood education, securing crucial funding increases in the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2019 Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations bill for programs including Head Start and Child Care and Development Block Grant.

###