DeLauro Calls For Greater Federal Investment In Child Care To Help Connecticut Families

Press Release

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) today joined Wallingford families to call for greater federal investment in child care. Connecticut is among the most expensive states for child care, with annual fees for a four-year-old in full-time care in a child care center averaging over $11,000. By contrast, annual tuition and fees at Connecticut public colleges average just over $10,000.

"The value of programs supporting affordable, quality child care is immeasurable. But child care is often a family's biggest expense--bigger than their mortgage or college tuition. And with both parents usually working outside the home quality child care is a fundamental cost of life for a majority of the American workforce.

"At a time when too many jobs simply do not pay enough to live on, American families can hardly afford the thousands of dollars child care costs here in Connecticut. I am proud to support several pieces of legislation that would alleviate those costs and will continue to press my colleagues to do more for working families.

DeLauro is the lead sponsor or a co-sponsor of several pieces of legislation, including the Child CARE Act and the Child Care Flex Spending Act, which would help families afford child care. Over 117,000 working mothers in Connecticut have children under six years old. Almost 10,000 Connecticut providers get at least some funding from the Child Care and Development Fund, which DeLauro oversees our investments in from her position as the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Wallingford YMCA is the largest provider of child care in Wallingford, serving about 600 children daily, ranging from infant to middle school.

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