On Tuesday, March 1, 2020, President Biden gave his State of the Union address. CWLA agrees with many of the ambitious goals President Joe Biden highlighted in his State of the Union address. Specifically, President Biden noted that “many families pay up to $14,000 a year for childcare per child.” Covid-19 only exacerbated the rising costs of childcare. The uncertainty of the virus caused many hybrid conditions for children and families. As pre-pandemic conditions return, childcare costs remain a significant burden for American families. CWLA will continue to work with Congress to address these issues, including making the child tax credit (CTC) permanent.
While presenting his bipartisan unity agenda, President Biden addressed the need to focus on mental health, including the mental health concerns of children and young people, an issue that Congress has also started to examine. He cited school mental health care, as well as mentoring and tutoring, as ways to increase supports available to students.
The President also warned about “the harms of social media.” For too long, tech companies have used the data they collect to target children. CWLA and our members have long been concerned about this practice and we are committed to finding bipartisan solutions so that our children’s privacy is protected when using online platforms. Cyberbullying and other forms of online abuse is a threat that continues to mount with little being done by tech companies. From spreading lies, to sending hurtful, abusive, and threatening messages, every day, children have been subjected to this abuse. As Congress looks for ways to strengthen online protections for children, CWLA will continue our efforts to listen to stakeholders and provide Congress and the Administration with steps needed to address this evolving crisis.
As CWLA does with every State of the Union address, we highlight priorities that will have a positive impact on children. We are committed to working with the Biden Administration as it continues his efforts to lower childcare costs, increase mental health supports, and protect our children from internet crimes, abuse, and privacy invasion.
Here is a link to President Biden’s comments.
The White House released fact sheets with additional background information on mental health, the opioid crisis, and the economy, including the expanded Child Tax Credit.
