Your Silence Gives Them Permission To Continue To Underfund

Dear Families and Staff Members:

Since March of this year, we have been operating under extreme circumstances. COVID-19 has required drastic changes in our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately, the virus continues to rise in several states, and we must continue to take precautions to ensure the health and safety of ourselves, our children and those around us.

As the months have passed, child care programs that are open have continued to follow CDC guidelines around social distancing as well as cleaning and sanitizing procedures. In order to continue to serve our communities during this difficult time as well into the future, we need the US Congress to pass the Child Care Is Essential Act. This bill provides $50 billion to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency to support the availability of safe, reliable, and affordable child care. We must unite and speak up in volume by reaching out to our US Senators and Representatives.

Our advocacy efforts are necessary and urgent now more than ever. Over the next 2 weeks as we wait for the Senate to release another COVID-19 relief package they must hear from enough of their constituentsregarding this important matter.If we do not do this our silencewillresult in many child care centers going out of business forever. Imagine the impact to the lives of working parents and their children should this happen.

Please use your voice to ensure the childcare industry is not overlooked.Simply go to Senate.gov and House.gov to easily pull up the phone number or to email your specific legislators in Washington with the following message:

Childcare programs need additional support in order to continue to operate. Please pass the Child Care Is Essential Act. This bill provides $50 billion to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency to support the availability of safe, reliable, and affordable child care. Nearly 50% of our nation's centers are closed and those that are open are operating at 50% or less capacity. The loss of enrollment has resulted in less revenue and the need to intensify the cleaning and disinfecting of the environment has increased cost in both supplies and labor. We need your help to save our child care infrastructure so there is a place for young children to go when their parents go back to work. Please vote YES for the Child Care is Essential Act.

If you are a parent or guardian, please add a few words about your family and why you have to be able to count on your child care center to be open and safe.

If you are a staff member please share your specific need to operate in a safe environment and be compensated fairly for your work as an ESSENTIAL worker.

If you prefer you can also click here to easily find the contact information for your specific legislators locally and in Washington, D.C.

Thank you for making this important call!

Cindy Lehnhoff
Legislative Advocate & Executive Director, NCCA

Click Here to Join or Renew!