SCAN is working with policymakers to ensure the child care and early learning sectors have the necessary funding now during this time of crisis and long into the future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Suzanne Arnold, [email protected], (609) 610-4957 (M)

Washington, D.C. (March 18, 2020) –Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) has joined leading coalition partners in signing a letter to Congress, urging the inclusion of robust and flexible funding for the child care and early learning sectors in the next COVID-19 economic relief package. Read the letter, here. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, countless child care centers – already operating on tight budgets – face the real threat of not being able to pay their staff, rent and other expenses. As a consequence, they are confronted with the possibility of having to close their doors permanently.

“Once this pandemic ends, these closures will have a heightened impact on children and families throughout the country,” said Roy Chrobocinski, SCAN’s Director of Federal Government Relations. “Before this pandemic hit, 51% of American families already lived in a child care desert. Now, with so many child care centers facing financial ruin due to COVID-19, there may be even fewer child care slots in the future. This will have far-reaching, negative impact on not only our littlest learners, but also on our workforce, our economy, and our ability to recover from this crisis.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, SCAN has adapted its advocacy efforts in an attempt to ensure this crisis does not detrimentally affect children and families or the vital services – such as child care centers – that support them and our communities. SCAN, together with its nationwide base of 350,000 grassroots advocates, has tirelessly supported the bipartisan Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act, which would help states provide child care to communities in need. Facing the potential loss of existing child care programs due to COVID-19, SCAN has been mobilizing in support of robust funding for child care providers in the next COVID-19 stimulus package, as well as working with state partners to urge Governors and state agencies to make policy changes and additional public investments so that these providers can continue to provide essential services to communities across the nation.

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Save the Children Action Network is the political voice for kids. We believe that every child deserves the best start in life. As the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, we’re building bipartisan will and voter support to make sure every child in the U.S. has access to high-quality early learning, that the U.S. takes a leadership role in serving the most marginalized and deprived children globally and that children arriving at our southern border are respected and humanely treated. By investing in kids and holding leaders accountable, we are helping children everywhere survive and thrive. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.