[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 594 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 594

 Calling for the payments to States for the Child Care and Development 
  Block Grant program to be sufficient to cover losses experienced by 
           child care providers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 21, 2020

   Mrs. Loeffler (for herself and Ms. Ernst) submitted the following 
 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
                          Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Calling for the payments to States for the Child Care and Development 
  Block Grant program to be sufficient to cover losses experienced by 
           child care providers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the child care market and has 
        resulted in decreased demand for child care, closures of child care 
        providers, and unemployment for parents;
Whereas before the pandemic, many working families faced challenges of 
        increasing costs of child care, and a lack of access to child care, 
        including a lack of access in child care deserts;
Whereas in the months before the pandemic, the Child Care and Development Block 
        Grant program provided access to affordable child care each month to 
        nearly 850,000 families, and over 1,400,000 children;
Whereas child care providers have lost significant income from families who 
        cannot pay and from reduced State reimbursements;
Whereas in March 2020, in a nationwide survey of child care providers, 30 
        percent of the child care providers said they would not withstand a 
        closure of more than 2 weeks without significant public investment and 
        support, an additional 17 percent of the child care providers said they 
        would not withstand a closure of any amount of time without that 
        investment and support, and only 11 percent of the child care providers 
        were confident they could withstand a closure of an indeterminate length 
        without that investment and support;
Whereas child care providers that remain open are supporting our Nation's front 
        line of defense by providing child care for essential workers who are 
        first responders, health care, public transit, and grocery store 
        workers, and workers in essential industries, and who have an estimated 
        6,000,000 children under the age of 13 in need of emergency care;
Whereas those providers are facing challenges of increased costs for cleaning 
        their facilities and providing a safe environment for children;
Whereas the CARES Act provided $3,500,000,000 for the Child Care and Development 
        Block Grant program and much-needed relief for families and businesses;
Whereas an estimated additional $25,000,000,000 is still needed for the Child 
        Care and Development Block Grant program to provide minimum sufficient 
        funds to States, ensuring that many child care providers remain open and 
        many others are able to reopen their facilities; and
Whereas the United States is beginning to recover and accessible child care is 
        crucial for working parents to return to work: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate calls for--
            (1) significant funds, in addition to the amount provided 
        under the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136), to be made available 
        through payments to States for the Child Care and Development 
        Block Grant program; and
            (2) those funds to be used for the purposes of making 
        maintenance grants for eligible child care providers under the 
        Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9858 et 
        seq.)--
                    (A) to support the providers in paying costs 
                associated with closures, or decreased attendance or 
                enrollment, related to coronavirus; and
                    (B) to assure the providers are able to remain open 
                or reopen as appropriate.
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