The Biden administration has requested $16 billion in child-care funding from Congress in an effort to prevent the expiration of covid aid from disrupting essential services for millions of families. This funding accounts for approximately one-third of the $56 billion the White House is seeking for domestic needs, which includes high-speed internet access and natural-disaster relief.
This request comes shortly after a separate $106 billion request for international priorities, such as funding for Ukraine and Israel. The White House is also asking Congress to approve $23 billion in disaster relief, including funds for the recent wildfires in Hawaii and floods in California and Vermont.
The child-care funds would be distributed to all 50 states and the District of Columbia, providing a year of stabilization funding for over 225,000 child-care providers across the country. During the pandemic, child-care facilities received a total of $24 billion in federal funding to stay operational. However, these funds expired at the end of September, leaving many providers struggling to stay afloat.
According to the Century Foundation, a liberal think tank, as many as 1 in 3 child-care centers could soon close, leaving approximately 3.2 million children without care. Some providers have already had to lay off staff or increase fees to compensate for the loss in federal funding. The situation is expected to worsen in the coming months unless action is taken.
Senator Patty Murray, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, emphasized the importance of addressing the child-care crisis and other urgent domestic priorities while tackling national security issues. Economists are concerned that the decline in child-care options could undo the progress made in women reentering the workforce after the pandemic. Without adequate care, many working mothers may be forced to scale back or leave their jobs entirely.
Improving child care and making it more affordable is a top priority for the Biden administration. The renewed funding would preserve existing child-care slots and provide financial assistance to families who rely on these services for employment. President Biden previously signed an executive order in April, urging federal agencies to take action to increase the supply of high-quality early care.
The $16 billion funding request aligns with the amount Democrats in Congress had called for last month. If approved, the funding would be distributed directly to states, with allocations ranging from $15 million for Wyoming and Vermont to $1.8 billion for Texas.