WASHINGTON, D.C. -Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement after the Committee voted to pass the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 (CCDBG), a bill that will expand access to and improve the quality of child care for the more than 1.5 million children and families that benefit from the federal child care subsidy program:
“In the nearly 20 years since the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act was last reauthorized, we have learned a great deal about child development, and the factors that contribute to successful child care programs," Chairman Harkin said. “Child care is a critical support for virtually every working parent, and this bipartisan bill will enhance quality and safety, ensure that low-income and at-risk children and families have access to affordable care, promote the healthy development of children enrolled, and improve services for children with disabilities who require care. This is a bill that reflects input from members of our Committee on both sides of the aisle, and I am pleased that the HELP Committee has moved forward on this critical bill."
The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 represents a comprehensive, bipartisan reauthorization of a law that was last revised in 1996. The original sponsors of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2013 include Chairman Harkin, Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Senator Richard Burr (R-NC.) Highlights of the bill include:
Improving program quality, while simultaneously ensuring that federal funds support low-income and at-risk children and families
Addressing the nutritional and physical activity needs of children in child care settings
Strengthening coordination and alignment to contribute to a more comprehensive early childhood education and care system
Meeting the needs of children with disabilities who require child care
Providing Protections for Children and Families Who Receive Assistance
Safeguarding the Health and Safety of Children
