Mothers Make Plea for More Funding for Childcare Amid Pandemic
Mothers Make Plea for More Funding for Childcare Amid Pandemic
(Bloomberg) -- When the pandemic first hit the U.S. and schools and businesses began to close, so did options for parents.
Months later, the coronavirus is still surging across the country and a group of working mothers said Friday they are still scrambling to figure out what comes next for families juggling telework, childcare and education.
“I’ve felt that since March, parents have been in this impossible bind,” said Deb Perelman, a cookbook author and mother of three from New York. “We don’t know whether we are supposed to be homeschooling or having a job.”
Perelman was part of a group of working mothers participating in a roundtable discussion convened by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard E. Neal on Friday to discuss the challenges of caring for a child while trying to meet work expectations in the current environment.
“Until we address the childcare crisis, families cannot function and the economy cannot successfully and safely reopen,” said Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat.
Many childcare facilities have closed their doors permanently because of the pandemic and others may follow. Most of those that remain open are operating at reduced capacity, according to a July 13 survey of 5,000 child care providers by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The survey also found that two of every five child care businesses are facing permanent closing unless they get more public assistance.
“I hope Congress will help fund childcare in the next pandemic relief package,” said Julie Groce, a working mother from Michigan.
Stimulus plans being discussed by Senate Republicans and House Democrats both include childcare grants, but the amount will depend on the outcome of negotiations on a final virus relief bill.
Neal said that the House will take up two pieces of legislation next week to address the issue. He is co-sponsoring a measure that would provide grants and tax breaks for childcare. Another bill sponsored by Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Bobby Scott of Virginia would provide $50 billion in grants to childcare providers and parents.
“They are both likely to pass the House, and then it will be onto the Senate and hopefully to the President’s desk,” Neal said. “Next week is a seismic moment in advancing our argument.”
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