Merkley, McBath Lead Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Child Care Workforce Shortage

Washington, D.C. - Today, Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Lucy McBath (D-GA-06) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce the Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act. The bipartisan bill would address the child care workforce shortage by investing in career and technical education (CTE) programs and incentivizing more students to enter the early childhood workforce upon graduation.

"As I hold town halls in all of Oregon's 36 counties every year, I hear from folks about child care being too inaccessible. Ensuring working families can access decent, affordable child care is an essential foundation for the middle class to thrive," said Merkley. "Our bipartisan bill invests in the child care workforce, a win for parents who need child care and for Oregon businesses who need more child care providers."

"Every parent deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing their child is in good hands while they go to work and provide for their family. For too long, finding affordable, quality childcare has been out of reach for working Americans," said McBath. "The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act will invest in career and technical programs that open doors for students who want to serve their communities as early childhood educators. It's our responsibility to prepare the next generation of childcare workers and give families the support they need to thrive."

In the House, U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA-15), John Mannion (D-NY-22), Mike Lawler (R-NY-17), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) co-led the introduction of the Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act.

"Child care is essential for children, families, businesses, and communities to thrive," said Bonamici. "We need more students to enter this critical profession, and career and technical education (CTE) programs have great potential to make it easier and more affordable for them to do so. I'm grateful to work with a group of bipartisan colleagues to introduce this commonsense legislation."

"The shortage of childcare workers has a negative effect upon families needing structured care environments and also our economy," said Thompson. "I am proud to support the Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act to help expand career and technical education, and create pathways in childhood education to meet the needs of parents, children, and workers."

"No parent should have to choose between earning a paycheck and caring for their children. That's why I'm proud to join my colleagues in this common-sense bipartisan effort to address the child care shortage head-on. In Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, childhood poverty rates remain among the highest in the nation. This legislation will help strengthen career and technical education (CTE) programs, giving our children the strong foundation they need to succeed. It represents an important step towards a robust federal commitment to supporting children and families across the country," said Mannion.

"Working families depend on access to affordable, reliable childcare, but workforce shortages continue to make that harder to find. This bipartisan legislation helps build a stronger pipeline of early childhood educators by investing in career and technical education and creating pathways for students to enter the field. Supporting childcare workers means supporting families, strengthening our economy, and giving children the foundation they need to succeed," said Lawler.

"Access to affordable, reliable childcare is essential for working families and for the strength of our economy," said Kiggans. "Right now, too many parents are struggling to find quality care, while childcare providers continue to face severe workforce shortages. I am proud to support the bipartisan Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act because it takes meaningful steps to strengthen the pipeline of skilled early childhood educators and expand opportunities for students interested in this critical profession. We must ensure America's parents are supported and their children have a strong foundation to succeed!"

The Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act would:

• Award grants to eligible partnerships such as institutions of higher education, child care providers, or relevant workforce training programs with schools;
• Establish, expand, or support career and technical education and career pathway programs of study in early childhood education.

The bipartisan Early Childhood Workforce Advancement Act is supported by Advance CTE, American Federation of Teachers, Association of Career and Technical Education, Bipartisan Policy Center, Council for Professional Recognition, Center for Law and Social Policy, Child Care Aware, Children's Defense Fund, Early Care and Education Consortium, First Five Years Fund, First Focus Campaign for Children, National Education Association, National Head Start Association, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, Save the Children, and Zero to Three.

The bill is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Full text of the bill can be found by clicking here.

A one-pager for the bill can be found by clicking here.

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