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LEGISLATIVE ALERT3/4/2010Call Congress Today in Support of Child Care and Head Start FundingToday, thousands of advocates are joining together to "March Forth" in support of increased funding for child care, Head Start, and child nutrition. This year's child care and early education action theme - "Families Earning, Children Learning" -reminds Congress of the importance of these programs for children, parents, and our economic recovery.
ACTION REQUIREDTake action TODAY by calling your Members of Congress. MESSAGETo call your Members of Congress, dial toll-free at 1-888-460-0813 and use the script below. The operator who answers the phone will ask to which Senator or Representative you would like to speak. To find out who your Senators and Representative are, click here.
Hi, my name is . I'm a constituent. (If you are also a parent, child care provider, community leader, etc., feel free to mention that as well.)
I am calling because I believe child care, Head Start, and child nutrition are essential programs for children and families. I urge the Senator/Representative to support the increases for these programs proposed in the President's 2011 budget.BACKGROUNDThe President's budget proposes $1.6 billion in increased child care funding and nearly $1 billion more for Early Head Start and Head Start. Congress must hear from their constituents if the investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start/Early Head Start, and child nutrition through the Child and Adult Care Food Program are to become a reality.
These child care and early education programs not only offer solutions for working parents, but also provide access to school preparation and an opportunity to promote healthy child development. These supports are primarily funded by the federal government, with little input from the state and local level, so this is the time to ensure the resources necessary to maintain high-quality child care and early learning service provision. Until the last year's Recovery Act the funding for these programs has remained static for nearly 10 years. These increases are crucial to maintaining some of the program capacity as a result of the Recovery Act. It also represents the most significant investment in child care and Head Start since 2001.
By calling today, we can make sure that Congress knows that the increased investments in child care and early education proposed in the President's budget are necessary. The more calls and e-mails they get, the more pressure Congress will feel to support these vital programs. So please help spread the word by forwarding this e-mail to friends, family, and colleagues.
Thanks for Marching Forth with us!
CWLA Government Affairs
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