Tester, Daines Lead Bipartisan Push to Expand Child Care During COVID-19 Outbreak

Senators urge more support for families and providers in next coronavirus bill

U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines are leading a bipartisan push to expand critical child care support for families and child care providers amid the coronavirus outbreak as the Senate considers the next coronavirus relief bill.

In a letter to Senate leadership, Tester and Daines, along with a group of their Senate colleagues, wrote that child care is critical to keeping essential workers on the frontlines, and that additional support for providers is necessary as the country moves toward economic recovery.

“Even before COVID-19, one of the most common concerns we heard from parents, especially in rural areas, was the struggle to find child care,” the Senators wrote. “The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening this situation and has led to a significant reduction in revenue for child care providers because many parents are now staying home with their children.”

Most child care providers have been forced to shut their doors, leaving parents in all industries unable to return to work and slowing the economic recovery as businesses begin reopening.

“The CARES Act provided much-needed relief for many of these child care providers and workers through the Paycheck Protection Program and a boost to the Child Care and Development Block Grant,” the Senators continued. “As Congress considers additional relief legislation, we ask that we build on these efforts to provide more support specifically for child care so we can effectively serve the needs of essential workers in the short term, and ensure that parents can return to work as businesses reopen.”

Tester and Daines’ full letter is available HERE.