Congresswoman Lori Trahan used a visit yesterday of Little Sprouts Early Education and Child Care in Methuen to highlight the need for the child care investments included in the proposed federal Build Back Better Act.
Trahan, joined by Executive Director of the Massachusetts Association of Early Education and Care William Eddy, said the bill will bolster working families’ efforts to get back on their feet and aid early education centers like Little Sprouts in their recovery from the pandemic.
“Working parents need increased access to quality, affordable child care to return to work, and child care and early education workers need to be brought back into the workforce and compensated for the critically important work they do during some of our children’s most important years. The Build Back Better Act will deliver both, and conversations like the one today at Little Sprouts in Methuen have only made me more confident that we’re going to get it done,” Trahan said.
Trahan’s office noted Massachusetts families face an average annual cost of $19,616 for child care for just one toddler. Further, less than one in five 3- and 4-year-olds have access to publicly funded preschool, and non-publicly funded Pre-K costs parents an average of $8,600 per year.
Little Sprouts CEO David Post said “Building a sustainable child care workforce requires the full participation of child care providers, like Little Sprouts, area employers and the support of champions like the Congresswoman, to represent our communities at the local, state and national level.”
Eddy added, “The historic investments in the Build Back Better Act support both working families and child care providers, ensuring families can get back to work, children have a safe environment to thrive, and early education providers are properly compensated for their tireless dedication to our kids.”
The Build Back Better Act limits child care costs to no more than 7% of income for families earning up to 250% of state median income; establishes universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds; and extends the American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child Tax Credit through 2022.