Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) reintroduced the Child Care for Working Families Act (CCWFA) on April 27th. Introduced every Congress since 2017, the legislation would address the ongoing crisis in child care by making it affordable for families and addressing the child care shortages that have, in many cases, made it
On April 10, 2023, A Better Balance hosted a webinar about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and PUMP Act. This webinar helped break down the benefits, regulations and standards of each of these pieces of legislation. Additionally, speakers discussed possible areas of benefits beyond these two acts, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act
On March 28th, 2023, the Work and Welfare Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing about the reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, titled “Welfare is Broken: Restoring Work Requirements to Lift Americans Out of Poverty.” The approach of the two parties was starkly different. Subcommittee Chairman
On March 29, 2023 the Congressional Dad’s Caucus had its kickoff meeting with a panel of lived experience. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), the Chair and Founder of the Dad’s Caucus, opened the discussion by highlighting the importance of “family friendly” policy. Several other congressmen offered their support, including Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), founder of the
In January, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent letters to Federal agency heads asking for information about how the agencies would be impacted by the House Republicans’ proposal to cap spending at the FY 2022 funding levels. “The American people and Members of Congress deserve to know the real impact this policy would
Child Trends released a brief on the impact of cash assistance, like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, for families with infants and toddlers that have low incomes. Cash assistance is one way to supplement incomes and address the economic burdens these families face. The brief contained evidence-based conclusions on the
On February 28, 2023, the Care Can’t Wait Coalition hosted a Day of Action on Columbus Circle. The coalition advocates for the trifecta of aging and disability care, paid leave, and childcare and is promoting the Child Care for Working Families Act and the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The Day of Action featured
On February 7, 2023, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) held a rally to shed light on the child care crisis. Along with several other senators, representatives, and guest speakers, Murray highlighted the importance of rebuilding the infrastructure of our child care system, and the steps President Biden should take in order to mitigate and solve this
Last Thursday, February 2, 2023, the Council for a Strong America hosted a briefing on childcare and presented findings from a study conducted by ReadyNation, a coalition advocating for public investment in early childhood. The event opened with a statement from Rep. Jeff VanDrew (R-NJ), who emphasized the importance of ReadyNation’s work and the findings
On February 1, 2023, Democratic lawmakers marked the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with a press conference announcing a new legislative package to establish a paid family and medical leave program and to expand and modernize FMLA. The FMLA program has successfully allowed employees to take reasonable time off to