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The legislation would extend the child care stabilization grant program, which Congress established in 2021 to help child care providers meet additional costs during the pandemic. The would provide $16 billion in mandatory funding each year for the next five years.

Congress initially provided $24 billion for the program as part of in 2021.

Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat and the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined by congressional colleagues, child care providers and advocates, called on Congress to act before this 鈥渓ifeline鈥� is cut off Sept. 30, noting its economy-wide impact.

鈥淲hen I say we need to act more urgently before things get worse 鈥� I don鈥檛 just mean parents are going to feel the pain, or child care workers are going to feel the pain,鈥� Murray said. 鈥淚 mean, the entire U.S. economy is going to feel this.鈥�

If this child care funding ends, child care providers may raise costs or not be able to continue serving families, Murray said, and parents may also be forced to leave their jobs to take care of their kids.

Too many people are forced to choose between their careers and caring for their children, Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and ranking member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said.

The bill attracted 35 co-sponsors in the Senate and 78 in the House. All the co-sponsors are Democrats except U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with the party.

鈥淥ver 3 million kids will be in danger of losing quality child care they have today鈥� if Congress does not take action, Sanders, the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said. 鈥淥ver 230,000 child care workers will be in danger of losing their jobs and over 70,000 child care facilities all over America will likely be shut down.鈥�

Sanders said the country鈥檚 workforce crisis would only be worsened if child care relief is cut off.

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said about 80,000 children could lose child care spots in Virginia, while nearly 2,800 early childhood education workers could see layoffs.

鈥淲e know if child care is accessible and it鈥檚 affordable, parents and our children survive,鈥� U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said. 鈥淪o we need to keep up those investments to help parents. That is what our obligation is in this time of difficulty and struggling for people in the economy.鈥�

Without a strong child care industry, the economy will 鈥渃ease to function,鈥� DeLauro said.

Cynthia Davis, the founder and CEO of Kings and Queens Childcare Center in Washington, D.C., spoke at the press conference to explain how her business could be affected by a loss of funding.

Davis said that if relief runs out at the end of the month, her business could see layoffs, increased rates or have to 鈥渄rop out of the public child care program and start serving private families only.鈥� Or her doors could close permanently, she said.

鈥淭his will devastate low-income and single-parent households and parents experiencing homelessness who hope to enroll their children in my program,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淎ll children, no matter their family鈥檚 income level, deserve an equal chance at the start of their lives.鈥�

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat from New Jersey, recalled her experiences as a mother searching for affordable child care for her now-17-year-old daughter.

鈥淚 can remember it like it was yesterday,鈥� Sherrill said. 鈥淭hat horrible feeling as I tried to find a place that I was comfortable leaving my baby girl and also could afford. And there were times when I paid my entire paycheck towards affording that quality child care.鈥�

This is an issue that disproportionately affects women, said U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, a California Democrat.

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a New York Democrat and former middle school principal, said it is important to recognize the impact of quality child care on the individual lives of children. Without access to quality child care, he said, 鈥渃hildren are more likely to be exposed to toxic stress and chronic trauma,鈥� which can affect their brain development.

A disproportionate number of children with trauma are then placed in special education classes, as well as 鈥渂eing caught up in something we call the school-to-prison pipeline,鈥� Bowman said.

鈥淲e do not and will not have a healthy democracy, a healthy society, and a healthy human race without investing in child care,鈥� Bowman said.

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