SAN ANTONIO — In just two days, millions of children could lose access to child care as pandemic-era funding is set to expire.
According to the Century Foundation Report, more than 70,000 child care facilities relied on that money and could soon be forced to shut their doors.
KENS 5 is learning more about the impact this would have on Texas families.
In 2021, funding included in the American Rescue Plan provided $4.1 billion for child care providers in Texas. It was part of the $24 million for providers across the country, signifying the largest federal investment in child care in U.S. history.
"They were really spent for rent, utilities, cleaning supplies. They were used to keep parents tuition down, they were used for teacher retention, wages and recruitment," said Senior Director of Education for the Texas nonprofit Children at Risk, Kim Kofron.
On September 30, the federal funding for child care providers is set to expire. Kofron explained how this development will affect more people than you may initially think.
"My staff, my grocer, my banker. The people we use every day in our lives who all depend on child care so they can go to work," Kofron said. "So it really is not just the families with young children and those child care providers. It's really all of us fighting."
If the money is no longer available, child care facilities will struggle to find workers.
Raising rates may be the only option that many don't want to take.
"It's not gonna be centers closing immediately, but we're hearing of centers closing already," said Kofron.
To solve this problem, she said, would take all levels of government.
"Yes, Congress needs to do their job and pass this budget to keep us all moving forward," said Kofron. "We also have to think about what we're doing as a state, how we're going to fix this as a state and how we're going to fix this as a local community."
According to the United Way, 3.2 million children across the U.S. are set to lose their access to child care. 305,975 of those children are in Texas. 3,949 child care programs are expected to close and 17,704 education jobs will be lost in the Lone Star State.
"We have a child care crisis in America," said U.S. Senator Patty Murray in a press conference urging leaders to take action by passing the Child Care Stabilization Act.
“There was a child care crisis even before the pandemic—and failing to extend these critical investments from the American Rescue Plan will push child care even further out of reach for millions of families and jeopardize our strong economic recovery,” said Murray. “This is an urgent economic priority at every level: child care is what allows parents to go to work, businesses to hire workers, and it’s an investment in our kids’ futures. The child care industry holds up every sector of our economy—and Congress must act now.”
Congress still has a chance to pass the Childcare Stabilization Act which would provide $16 billion in mandatory funding each year for the next five years.
For any parents potentially affected by the September 30 deadline who will need to find new child care, they can turn to United Way's 2-1-1 helpline. There, you'll be able to find affordable child care in your zip code. Help is also available in Spanish.
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