U.S. Senator Katie Britt introduced a package of bipartisan legislation that would make child care more affordable and accessible by strengthening existing tax credits to lower childcare costs and growing the supply of childcare providers. The legislation, the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act and the Child Care Workforce Act, is receiving high praise from organizations across Alabama that have a vested interest in the wellbeing of the workforce.
Britt (R-Montgomery), a mother of teenagers, touted the “broad, enthusiastic outpouring of support” and emphasized the importance of having affordable, accessible child care.
“With our bipartisan introduction and this immediate strong showing of support, we are sending a message to the American people that we can and will get the job done to improve accessibility and affordability when it comes to child care,” said Britt. “This legislation would empower families to keep more of their hard-earned money, strengthen opportunities for children to reach their full potential, and help local small businesses and critical American industries thrive.”
“Simply put, this is a win-win.”
RELATED: Sen. Katie Britt introduces proposals to address the rising cost of childcare
According to Britt’s office, the bills are endorsed by: A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Arise, Alabama School Readiness Alliance, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Bipartisan Policy Center Action (BPCA), the Business Council of Alabama, Care.com, Chamber of Progress, Chamber RVA, Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA), Child Care Aware of Virginia , Children’s Institute, Early Care & Education Consortium (ECEC), Educare Learning Network, First Five Years Fund (FFYF), Gingerbread Kids Academy, Hampton Roads Chamber, Healthy Kids AL, KinderCare Learning Companies, Manufacture Alabama, Metrix IQ, Mobile Area Education Foundation, National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), National Child Care Association (NCCA), Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce (NVC), Save the Children, Small Business Majority, Start Early, Third Way, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF), VOICES for Alabama’s Children, Voices for Virginia’s Kids, and American Hotel and Lodging Association. In addition to those groups, the Child Care Workforce Act is endorsed by the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and ZERO TO THREE.
“We know that childcare is an essential resource for working parents,” said Jon Barganier, president & CEO of Manufacture Alabama.
“Currently, parents in Alabama make up 35% of the workforce. When parents have access to high-quality and affordable childcare, employers benefit from reduced absenteeism and productivity loss, increased employee retention, and a greater abundance of skilled workers. We applaud Senator Britt for her vision and leadership to address this major challenge and we are excited about this legislative package which will complement the Alabama Childcare Tax Credit which the Alabama Legislature passed unanimously, and Governor Ivey signed into law earlier this year.”
Helena Duncan, President and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama, called accessible and affordable childcare a “critical issue.”
RELATED: Working families set to benefit from Alabama childcare tax credit after approval from lawmakers
“BCA has worked diligently to address this challenge by implementing solutions statewide in the development and passage of the Working for Alabama package, which was signed into law this past legislative session. This package includes House Bill 358, the Childcare Tax Credit, which creates tax credits to incentivize employers to fund childcare options and incentivize childcare providers to expand access to care and quality of care. We are proud to support Senator Katie Britt in her efforts to address this problem at the federal level.”
“Alabama thrives when our leaders come together to tackle the issues that matter most.”
According to Britt, over the last three decades, the cost of child care has increased by 220%. Additionally, more than half of all families live in childcare deserts.
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
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