The Peru Gazette

From the office of Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

Washington, D.C: Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is cosponsoring the Back to Work Child Care Grants Act of 2020, legislation led by Congressman Tom Reed. This bipartisan legislation will ensure child-care providers across the country receive critical federal support in order to serve hardworking families.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), along with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), recently led the introduction of the proposal in the Senate.

“The COVID-19 crisis continues to disrupt our economy and daily life, and our child-care providers have been adversely affected,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “Not only will this bipartisan legislation provide much-needed resources to our child-care providers, it will ensure our children are receiving the necessary care and education they need. As our country works to get back on track economically, it’s important we consider those who continue to selflessly serve our hardworking families each day.”

The Back to Work Child Care Grants Act of 2020 supports economic recovery and helps parents go back to work by providing:

• Critical resources to help child-care providers reopen and stay open
  • Provides 9-month financial assistance for providers to open, welcome children safely, and ensure a robust child-care sector is available for families
  • Allows states to design state-specific plans to support child-care centers, operators, providers in their state
  • Sends funds to child-care providers more quickly without administrative red tape
  • Safe environments for children
    • Requires all providers receiving assistance to follow all state and local health and safety guidelines
    • Requires states to ensure a diverse field of child-care setting options for parents, including center-based, family child care, and faith-based options