[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 96 (Thursday, May 21, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 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

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

                              S. Res. 594

       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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