FFYF Statement On The Release Of The White House Executive Order On Care

WASHINGTON – The office of the Vice President has announced that the Department of Health and Human Services has finalized a set of executive orders designed to make child care more accessible for working families. The rule would strengthen the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, which supports over a million children and their families each month with child care assistance. In response First Five Years Fund (FFYF) Executive Director Sarah Rittling released the following statement:

“CCDBG is the single biggest federal support system for states who are grappling with how to ensure families have access to affordable, quality care. We saw that through the pandemic when Congress provided flexibility and additional funding to the program, which allowed states to address the unique child care challenges facing them. And last fiscal year, there was bipartisan agreement in Congress to allocate CCDBG with additional funds. With multiple proposals in Congress and now this action by the Administration to leverage CCDBG to help more families, one thing is clear: families, states and providers all rely on this critical program. 

“FFYF is hopeful that White House and Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle can work together to secure robust funding for CCDBG and enact solutions that address the daily challenges too many families across the country face in accessing the child care they need.”