[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 111 (Friday, June 25, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H3137]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NEED FOR AFFORDABLE CHILDCARE

  (Ms. GARCIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention 
to the crisis caused by the lack of childcare in my district and across 
the country. Access to affordable childcare is critical for working 
families across the country and in my district.
  We all have heard of places without grocery stores referred to as 
food deserts. Well, half of American families live in areas lacking 
childcare facilities. They are living in childcare deserts.
  The situation is even worse in Latino communities, as 78 percent live 
in childcare deserts.
  As you can see on this chart by my side, this is my district. The 
orange and the dark colors represent areas that have no access to 
childcare. Eighty-two percent of the children in my district have no 
access to childcare. This is a childcare desert. This impacts 
disproportionately communities of color. This is unacceptable.
  As a Nation, we must invest in childcare. High-quality childcare 
improves outcomes for children, parents, and neighborhoods. We must act 
and we must act now.

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