Rep. Cisneros’ Bipartisan Bill Passes the House with Pair of Bipartisan Child Care Relief Bills

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Representative Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr. (CA-39) voted to pass a pair of child care relief bills, which include his bipartisan bill with Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-02). The Child Care is Essential Act (H.R. 7027) and the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act (H.R. 7327) both passed the House with bipartisan support. Rep. Cisneros’ bill, the Helping Child Care Providers Respond to the Coronavirus Public Health Emergency Act (H.R. 7720), was included in the Child Care is Essential Act.

“Access to safe and reliable child care is critical to successfully reopening our economy. It’s even more important now as parents return to work and their children will not be able to go back to school. Without federal aid, 40 percent of health centers—half of those owned by people of color—will shut down permanently,” said Rep. Cisneros. “I’m grateful the House stepped up to pass these child care relief bills on a bipartisan basis, including my bipartisan bill to help provide the resources to keep child care centers clean and safe. I call on the Senate to pass these bills immediately to help our child care providers, children, and working families.”

H.R. 7027, the Child Care Is Essential Act, would provide $50 million in grant funding for a new Child Care Stabilization Fund Block grant program to stabilize the child care sector and support payroll and other new expenses needed to help child care facilities reopen safely.

H.R. 7327, the Child Care for Economic Recovery Act, includes a number of provisions to expand availability and affordability of child care for working families.  Among the provisions, the legislation would provide emergency funding for Social Services Block grants and infrastructure grants to improve child care facilities. It also would increase existing tax breaks for child care services, including by permanently making the child care dependent care tax credit refundable, doubling the tax credit to allow those with incomes up to $120,000 to claim it, and by doubling the amount individuals can deposit in a flexible spending account for dependent care.

According to an analysis by the Center for American Progress and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, California is at risk of losing half of its current child care capacity without adequate federal support.  

According to a survey conducted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 91 percent of child care centers say they are incurring additional costs for cleaning supplies. The survey also finds 40 percent of child care centers in the United States—half of those who are owned by people of color—are certain they will close permanently without additional public assistance.