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| Wilson aims to add Childcare provisions to Welfare-to-Work Legislation |
May 03, 2002 |
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Early Childhood Education Top Priority for Lawmaker
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson visited an Albuquerque day care center today to underscore her commitment to quality early childhood education. The New Mexico lawmaker said today that she’s working to add some key childcare provisions to welfare reform legislation expected to be considered in the House later this month.
“Every child deserves access to affordable, quality day care,” says Wilson. “And welfare reform is an ideal forum in which to address the issue of quality child care because having good, reliable childcare is one of the most important factors that allows people to keep their jobs.”
“A group of women legislators have gotten together and we are going to try to make a real difference in child care as part of welfare reform,” Wilson said.
Earlier this month Wilson introduced two early childhood education bills. One would require federal child care funds reimburse child care centers, pre-schools, and home-based childcare at the current market rate. The second focuses on improving the quality of child care by helping centers and child care homes cover the costs associated with becoming accredited.
Brenda Ruiz is familiar with the challenges facing single mothers working to get back on their feet. Though her 13-year-old son didn’t need quality early child care, Brenda knows that mothers worry about taking care of their kids.
“I’ve been really lucky, and I have a good job and a son I am very proud of,” says Ruiz, who worked her way up after losing her job. Ruiz now works for Waddell and Reed Financial Services and learned critical management, life and crisis management skills through the federal Temporary Aid to Needy Families program. “But there’s no doubt that childcare has to be a critical component of any welfare legislation today. I think most moms want to work and take care of their families. And we also want to know our kids are taken care of while we do it. I’m glad Congresswoman Wilson is focusing on improving childcare for our kids.”
Wilson’s Quality Child Care Act of 2002 (HR 4164), seeks to increase funding to help child care centers pay for the cost of accreditation. Currently, federal law requires that 4% of Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding be used for child care quality programs. The bill will increase the current 4% funding requirement to 8% and would require that 4% be set-aside to help child development centers and homes pay for the costs associated with accreditation.
CCDBG is a federal program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that provides grants to states to subsidize the child care expenses of low-income families with children under age 13, as well as for activities intended to improve the overall quality and supply of child care for families in general.
Wilson also introduced the Fair Care for Kids Act of 2002 (HR 4539), a bill that would require states to monitor market rates annually to ensure they are reimbursing at rates that are no less than the average for the type and age of a child in a particular region.
Today in New Mexico, child care providers are being reimbursed at lower rates than the current market rate, and lower than cost. If day care providers are not reimbursed at the current market rate, then the lowest income children are forced to go to the most marginal centers. As of February 2002, New Mexico had over 22,000 children in federally subsidized child care programs. There are thousands more children in these programs than there are participating in Headstart.
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