{"id":7542,"date":"2023-03-07T21:05:35","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T21:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rosen-testing.senate.gov\/?p=7542"},"modified":"2023-03-07T21:05:35","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T21:05:35","slug":"rosen-ernst-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-availability-of-affordable-child-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rosen.senate.gov\/es\/2023\/03\/07\/rosen-ernst-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-expand-availability-of-affordable-child-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Rosen, Ernst Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Availability of Affordable Child Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Recent State Report Labeled Nevada A \u201cChild Care Desert,\u201d Finds Nearly 75 Percent Of Children Under Age Of Five Don\u2019t Have Access To Licensed Child Care Providers<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

WASHINGTON DC<\/strong> \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), the committee\u2019s Ranking Member, introduced the Small Business Child Care Investment Act. <\/em>This bipartisan legislation would increase the availability of affordable, high-quality child care to working families by allowing non-profit child care providers that qualify as small businesses to participate in Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs. This legislation is also co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent report labeled the entire state of Nevada as a \u201cchild care desert<\/a>,\u201d and found that nearly 75 percent of children below the age of five don\u2019t have access to a licensed child care provider. The report deemed the cost of child care a \u201chuge concern<\/a>\u201d in Nevada and found it often to be more expensive than college tuition. It also attributed the lack of affordable and accessible child care to the worker shortage that Nevada businesses report experiencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith skyrocketing costs and a lack of affordable child care options, hardworking Nevada families are being squeezed and forced to make the difficult choices, which sometimes include women leaving the workforce,\u201d dijo el Senador Rosen.<\/strong> \u201cThis bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help increase affordable child care options by ensuring that non-profit child care centers can access the resources needed to thrive. I will continue fighting in the Senate to lower costs for hardworking Nevada families.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen traveling from river to river in Iowa, I consistently hear that access to quality, affordable childcare is a workforce barrier for our growing communities,\u201d said Senator Ernst.<\/strong> \u201cThis bipartisan, commonsense solution will increase childcare options and lessen the burdens on working families by expanding opportunities for providers, including religious non-profits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnited Way of Southern Nevada is a long-standing partner of Nevada Ready! Pre-K which allows hundreds of children from qualifying families to attend preschool at no cost. We have seen firsthand the positive impact that affordable high-quality care and education options have provided not only for our children, but entire families,\u201d said Julian High, President and CEO of United Way of Southern Nevada.<\/strong> \u201cThe Small Business Child Care Investment Act allows non-profit childcare and early education providers to grow their capacity so they can meet the needs of working families in Nevada. We are very grateful for this partnership that will help improve the lives of those in our beloved community and state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGiven the childcare desert in northern Nevada, any assistance that will help more people open or sustain their childcare operations will be most beneficial,\u201d said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno & Sparks Chamber of Commerce.<\/strong> \u201cWithout adequate and affordable childcare, parents or guardians can\u2019t work. And when they can\u2019t work, they can\u2019t afford the basic necessities. It\u2019s an endless loop of generational poverty, children without adequate literacy skills, and behavioral health issues.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccess to child care is one of the primary barriers preventing the potential workforce from converting to the active workforce in our region,\u201d said Mary Beth Sewald, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.<\/strong> \u201cIn this time of staffing shortages, The Vegas Chamber supports initiatives including the Small Business Child Care Investment Act <\/em>that will increase the availability of child care to parents who without it are precluded from taking good jobs with the employers of our region.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, non-profit child care providers do not have the same access to the types of SBA loans that for-profit providers do:<\/p>\n\n\n\n