[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 57 (Thursday, March 31, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E327-E328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CARE IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 30, 2022

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
H.R. 5547, the Care is an Economic Development Strategy Act or the CEDS 
Act, which requires grant applicants for certain public works and 
economic development projects to describe how they will increase the 
accessibility of affordable, quality, care-based services.
  These services include childcare, early childhood education, 
disability and long-term care, and elder care.
  This legislation increases the accessibility of affordable, quality, 
care-based services, and will expand quality childcare and support the 
dire needs of single parent homes.
  The CEDS Act will amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act 
of 1965, which provides grants for public works and development 
facilities, and the planning and coordination needed to alleviate 
conditions of substantial and persistent unemployment and 
underemployment in economically distressed areas and regions.
  By amending this law, this bill would require recipients of certain 
grants to develop a comprehensive economic development strategy that 
directly or indirectly increases the accessibility of affordable, 
quality care-based services, and for other purposes.
  The economic development strategy will ensure that all funds are 
being dispersed to programs that need them and will utilize the funding 
to provide quality care-based services.

[[Page E328]]

  The COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled and emphasized how vital care-
based access is to ensure that we have a functioning economy.
  According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, annually, about 8,357,100 
people receive support from the 5 main long-term care services.
  These include: Home health agencies 4,742,500; Nursing homes 
1,383,700; Hospices 1,244,500; Residential care communities 713,300; 
Adult day service centers 273,200.
  The number of individuals using paid long-term care services in any 
setting will likely double from 13 million using services in 2000, to 
27 million people by 2050.
  This estimate is impacted by steep growth in the population of older 
people who tend to need an increasing amount of care.
  Among the disabled and elder population in the world, about two-
thirds rely solely on family members to provide care, which often 
results in conflicts with their professional careers.
  These conflicts often limit their ability to work outside the home 
and provide for their families.
  For many parents, especially single mothers, a lack of childcare 
reduces workforce participation and prevents upward economic mobility.
  Fifty-seven percent of working families spent more than $10,000 on 
childcare in 2020.
  Twenty-seven percent of families have difficulty accessing childcare 
because of high demand and low supply of available childcare providers 
who have not yet reached capacity.
  On average, Americans with children spend at least 10 percent of 
their household income on childcare.
  Fifty-eight percent of working parents rely on childcare centers 
which equates to about 6.38 million parents across the nation.
  This bill is a stepping stone towards economic stability and allows 
hardworking American parents to return to their jobs.
  We must continue working alongside parents, employers, and childcare 
advocates to secure an economy that helps working parents thrive.
  For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 
5547.

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