CONGRESSMAN JOE MORELLE MARKS NATIONAL WORKING MOMS DAY BY ANNOUNCING AGENDA TO SUPPORT FAMILIES AND COMBAT THE CHILDCARE CRISIS
Highlights legislation to provide universal childcare and strengthen early education programs for working families
(Washington, D.C.) — Today, Congressman Joe Morelle recognized National Working Moms Day by outlining actions he is taking to ease the burden on parents—particularly by expanding access to affordable childcare.
“On this National Working Moms Day, we celebrate the essential work mothers do—for their families, their jobs, and their community,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “Moms are superheroes, but too often they are forced to choose between their career goals and caring for their children. I’m fighting to change that by making childcare accessible and affordable for everyone so we can ease the burden on working families and provide the support moms need and deserve.”
Congressman Morelle outlined his legislative agenda to support working moms by providing universal access to childcare, strengthening early education programming, and investing in families:
- H. R. 2976, the Child Care for Working Families Act:
- This legislation would significantly improve compensation and training for the childcare workforce to increase the number of qualified providers and get children off waitlists and into high-quality care. It also guarantees childcare assistance to low and middle-class families by ensuring that no family under one hundred fifty percent of state median income pays more than seven percent of their income on childcare and families under seventy-five percent of the state median income would pay nothing.
- H.R. 953, the Child Care for Every Community Act:
- This measure will establish universal childcare and early learning programs like Headstart for all four- and five-year-olds regardless of income.
- H.R. 3899, the American Family Act
- This legislation would create a new $300 per-month, per-child credit for children under 6 years of age and a $250 per-month, per-child credit for children under 17 years of age. Enacting these provisions would mean 4 million kids would escape poverty.
Through his role on the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Morelle has also helped craft legislation for the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process, requesting a $12.4 billion investment in childcare development block grants.
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