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| Wilson Joins with Women Members of Congress to Secure $2 Billion for Child Care |
May 15, 2002 |
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Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Heather Wilson joined with a group of Republican Women Members of Congress to announce that they were successful in securing an additional $2 billion dollars in funding for Child Care Block Grants to states. Judy Biggert (R-IL), Jennifer Dunn (R-WA), Melissa Hart (R-PA), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Heather Wilson (R-NM) joined together to push for the funding to be included in the Welfare Reform bill under consideration by the House of Representatives.
“Working parents need access to affordable, quality care,” said Wilson. “Parents want to be able to become self-sufficient by going to work while having the peace of mind that their children are getting the care they deserve. At the same time, it is critical that children have the opportunity to start out on the right foot. This funding will give many children a chance to succeed.”
Each day an estimated 13 million children, including 6 million infants and toddlers, spend some part of their day being cared for by someone other than their parents. The quality of early care and education has tremendous benefits. It leads to increased cognitive abilities, increased likelihood of long-term school success, and greater likelihood of long-term economic and social self-sufficiency. This funding will give more children the opportunity for quality care and early learning experiences.
Since the welfare reform act in 1996, the number of welfare recipients has significantly decreased. The number of children on welfare has decreased by half, which means that there will be more money for each child in day care.
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