U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Supports Reform to Increase Access to Affordable, High-Quality Child Care and Preschool

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin helped introduce legislation to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care and preschool for Wisconsin families.

The Child Care for Working Families Act would create a federal-state partnership to help bring child care costs under control for low- and middle-income families. The bill also supports access to high-quality preschool and would improve our nation's child care workforce by significantly improving wages and training for teachers and caregivers.

“For many working parents in Wisconsin struggling to get ahead, finding affordable, high-quality child care is extremely difficult, forcing more and more parents to have to choose between work and child care,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our hardworking Wisconsin families deserve a better deal. I’m proud to help introduce this legislation that will help ensure more families have access to affordable child care.”

The Child Care for Working Families Act is a part of the Democrats' broad economic agenda to offer working families a "Better Deal." Affordable child care is just one of many proposals Democrats put forth to build an economy that works for all, not just those at the top. The legislation was introduced by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) and in addition to Baldwin is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Al Franken (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Pat Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Text of the Child Care for Working Families Act is available here.

A summary of the Child Care for Working Families Act is available here.

Over 100 Organizations have endorsed the Child Care for Working Families Act. See the full list here.