Issue Position: Universal Child Care

Issue Position

15 million children in America live in poverty. Thousands of those children live in New York's 17th Congressional District. I was one of them. Growing up, when child care was too expensive, my grandmother was forced to take me to work with her in Congers and Hillcrest, where she cleaned homes. Today, in more than half the states in America, a year of child care costs more than a year of in-state college tuition. My mother was lucky to have my grandmother to help take care of me, but many children are not so lucky. We cannot leave our children behind.

In Congress, I will co-sponsor Rep. Deb Haaland's Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act (H.R. 3315). Under this legislation, the Department of Health and Human Services must support sponsors (e.g., states, local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofit community organizations) that provide child care and early learning services for families.
Families must pay a subsidized fee, based on their income, for the services. The fees are capped at 7% of a family's income regardless of the family's income level. Moreover, the fees are waived for children from families with incomes below 200% of the poverty line.
In Congress, I will also co-sponsor Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton's Universal Prekindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act (H.R. 4213), which would expand access to free pre-kindergarten through a partnership between the federal government and the states. This has been piloted in New York City to great effect, and will improve outcomes for millions of children across the country.
I will introduce legislation to provide 36 weeks of paid parental leave, so new parents can care for their child at the child's most formative time.

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