Rep. Stevens: Childcare rescue package is critical for the economy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House stepped in Wednesday to try to rescue the nation’s childcare system from collapse under the weight of the pandemic.

The chamber approved a pair of bills that backers say are needed to fully reopen the economy and shore up the childcare industry in the longer term.

The bills now advance to the GOP-controlled Senate, where their fates are uncertain.

One bill would provide $50 billion in emergency funds to stabilize the childcare sector and help providers safely reopen and operate as COVID-19 infections surge across the country. The money would be administered through a federal block grant program and distributed to eligible childcare centers, home-based providers and family childcare homes.

The other would invest up to $10 billion per year through 2024 in the nation’s childcare infrastructure, change federal tax policy to help workers access childcare and help providers cover expenses, and more.

Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Rochester Hills), who co-led the stabilization fund legislation, echoed the sentiment in a statement. “We cannot talk about reopening our economy without having a conversation about how families will care for their children,” she said.