October 30, 2023

Congressman Castro, Founder of Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, Calls on Congress to Avert Looming Child Care Crisis

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), founding co-chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, released the following statement urging Congress to approve a one-year extension for Child Care Stabilization Grants, which support more than 225,000 child care facilities across the country. Congressman Castro’s statement follows a request from the Biden administration for Congress to pass a new domestic funding package with $16 billion to keep the end of COVID-era stabilization grants from endangering access to child care.

“Investments in child care are investments in our entire economy,” said Congressman Castro. “As a father of three young children and the founding chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus, I was glad to see the Biden administration’s request for new funding to address the child care crisis. Over the last two years, Child Care Stabilization Grants have played a critical role in helping providers retain staff and control tuition increases. As these grants expire, San Antonio providers are already warning that they will have to raise costs to keep their doors open. At a time when so many families are struggling to make ends meet, Congress needs to do everything we can to make child care affordable and accessible for all.”

The Biden administration’s request follows an July letter to the president from Congressman Castro and other members of Congress that identified $16 billion as the critical funding baseline to protect America’s child care providers. As part of his efforts to strengthen access to affordable childcare, Congressman Castro introduced the Head Start for Our Future Act, legislation to expand the child care workforce by allowing emerging child care professionals to earn as they learn with jobs in early childhood education that would be eligible for federal work study. Castro co-founded the Bipartisan Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus in 2016 and is a co-founder of the Congressional Dads Caucus.