The child care sector is in crisis. Child care is unaffordable for many families, and the low wages paid to care workers exacerbate supply issues. A thriving child care sector is crucial for children, families, and the economy. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) recently released child care and early education proposal for inclusion in a federal budget reconciliation package. The proposal would lower families’ costs, expand the supply and quality of child care and preschool, and raise wages for the child care and early education workforce. Central to the proposal is a $72 billion investment in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary federal source of child care assistance for low-income families. CCDBG reaches only 1 in 7 eligible children due to insufficient funding. CLASP analysis shows an estimated one million+ children nationally could benefit from the CCBDG investment. Even more, would be reached through investments in preschool and Head Start.2 345678910 The Murray-Kaine proposal will allow more of Tennessee’s children access to quality child care, help reduce the high costs of child care, and raise wages for the child care workforce.
With this funding, Tennessee would be allocated an additional
$266,436,645. These funds would allow childcare providers to reach up to 8- percent more children with this proposed funding. Tennessee currently can serve 38,000. However, with the new funds, 30,439 6 estimated additional children with access to CCDBG through the proposal. With the average cost of care in Tennesee at $10,826 for infants and $9,940 annually for toddlers, these funds are critical.
https://www.clasp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/HELP-Committee-CCDBG-Reconciliation-Proposal-Factsheet_May-2022_final.pdf