This week, the Republican members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Department of Education voted to support a budget that fails to make child care safer and more accessible to low-income working families. Despite the governor’s recommendation to apply federal funds to bring our state’s child care licensure inspectors from a shockingly high ratio of 1 inspector to every 150 child care centers to a still-high ratio of 1 inspector to ever 100 child care centers, our subcommittee rejected this recommendation. This decision that shows a lack of understanding of the real-life situations of working families, who need to ensure their children are safe while they work hard to provide a better outcome for their families.
My amendment that would have allowed more low-income parents to work or attend school while their children receive high-quality child care failed on partisan lines. I remain hopeful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will recognize the importance of access to safe, high-quality child care as we move forward in the budgeting process.