Letter to Congress: Business Leaders Urge Action to Fight Child Care Crisis

The following letter, which was sent to all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, contains more than 50 signatures from senior business leaders spanning industries from across the country calling for strong Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding, as well as other initiatives that expand access to affordable, quality child care.

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February 13, 2019

Dear Members of Congress:

We represent ReadyNation, a national, bipartisan business network of senior executives across industries, working to help build a competitive future workforce by promoting smart investments in America’s children and youth. Recently, ReadyNation released a compelling report that sheds light on our nation’s child care crisis. The report shows that inadequate access to affordable, quality child care for infants and toddlers is costing our economy a staggering $57 billion each year. As business leaders, we recognize that this lost productivity is hindering economic growth and harming both employers and employees. As the 116th Congress progresses, we urge you set up the economy for long-term success by enacting policies that meaningfully improve our nation’s child care system.

The child care crisis is being widely felt by parents, businesses, and even the American taxpayer. Nearly one-third of parents report having difficulty finding child care. This leads to reduced productivity for working parents, and over 10% of parents report being demoted, transferred, or fired due to child care problems. Businesses feel these impacts as well, through decreased output and extra costs to manage workforce disruptions. These consequences ultimately flow to the taxpayer through reduced tax revenues. The cumulative impact on the economy is $57 billion - a significant sum that could contribute to stronger economic growth if the underlying issues of the child care crisis are resolved

Congress has a crucial opportunity to make historic strides in improving child care access and affordability in our country. Last year, Congress took a significant step by nearly doubling funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). These funds enable lower-income parents to afford child care while holding jobs that lead to long term self-sufficiency. Strong CCDBG funding should continue to be one aspect of child care policy in the 116th Congress. Other initiatives that expand access to affordable, quality child care and promote innovation and investment in child care in the private sector deserve serious consideration by Congress as well. Significant action by this Congress will support a more productive workforce and economy, both now and in the future.

As leaders in the private sector, we share your desire to strengthen the economy and support American jobs. Reforming our child care system is one key step that this Congress can take to help achieve those goals. We thank you for your dedicated service to our nation, and we urge you to prioritize child care as you work on the many issues that will face the 116th Congress.