LANSING, Mich., Nov. 2, 2023 — State Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) introduced House Resolution 163 calling on Congress to restore federal child care funding by passing Senate Bill 2777, the Child Care Stabilization Act.
In 2021, Congress established the Child Care Stabilization Grant Program through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help child care providers meet additional costs during the pandemic. Before the expiration of the program on Sept. 30 and reaching this “child care funding cliff,” Senate Bill 2777 was introduced in the U.S. Senate to extend the funding for five more years. However, the legislation was not enacted by the deadline, and much of this critical funding ceased. To date, the bill has still not been passed by Congress.
“These funds were a lifeline to parents and providers, who already faced significant obstacles regarding our child care infrastructure long before the pandemic,” Coffia said. “Federal support is necessary to address the full scope of child care funding needs. This resolution urges the immediate passage of federal child care funding to further stabilize our economy by stabilizing our child care infrastructure — something that is needed across Michigan, and especially in my district in Benzie, Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties.”
With the end of ARPA funding, more than 1,200 child care programs are projected to close in Michigan, leaving more than 56,000 children at risk of losing their child care. Michigan parents already report that child care issues caused significant disruptions to their employment at rates higher than the national average. Millions of parents are projected to be impacted by the loss of child care by being forced to leave the workforce or reduce their work hours. This could cost families in the United States $9 billion each year in lost earnings.