Sen. Murray at Shoreline Community College to meet with State officials and providers on lapse of key Federal Child Care funding

On Friday, October 6, 2023, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a former preschool teacher, visited Shoreline Community College to hear about how Washington state is responding to the expiration of federal child care funding that she was instrumental in delivering in the American Rescue Plan.

Senator Murray was joined by Washington State Rep Tana Senn (D-LD-41); Allison Krustinger, Director of Public Affairs at Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Family Services (DCYF); Junaid Haq, Director of the Parent Child Center at Shoreline Community College; Deeann Puffert, CEO of Child Care Aware of Washington; and parents of children who are enrolled at the Parent Child Center at Shoreline Community College.

Senator Murray spoke about her efforts to extend federal child care stabilization funding, her comprehensive child care reform legislation, and her continued work to address the child care crisis through every possible avenue in Congress.

When the pandemic pushed the already-fragile child care sector to the brink of collapse, Senator Murray led Democrats in Congress by delivering a historic $24 billion in child care stabilization funding nationwide through the American Rescue Plan to save the sector from collapse.

U.S. Sen. Murray at Shoreline Community College

The funding made an enormous difference, keeping 220,000 child care providers afloat over the last few years and saving child care slots for up to 10 million kids nationwide — but the funds expired at the end of September.

Last month, Senator Murray introduced the Child Care Stabilization Act, which was cosponsored by dozens of her Democratic colleagues and would extend the child care stabilization funding and ensure that providers can keep their doors open — and she is working to build the support needed to get it to the President’s desk.

“As a former preschool teacher and someone who got my start in politics advocating for my kids’ pre-k program, child care has always been an issue that is close to my heart,” said Senator Murray.

“No matter where I go, I am constantly hearing from families who are stressed trying to figure out how they will find a child care opening, and how they will afford it if they can get off the waitlist.

 
"I led the efforts in Congress to save the child care sector from collapse when COVID hit our country hard — and the investment we made in child care, which was the largest one-time investment ever, helped over 220,000 providers keep their doors open and serve up to 10 million kids nationwide.”

“But," Murray said, "those funds expired at the end of September — threatening to make it even harder than it already is for parents and families to find child care. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to extend these critical child care stabilization funds to help providers keep their doors open and serve families.

"Because let’s be clear: our child care system isn’t just stretched thin — it’s broken. I’m going to continue working every avenue available — and work with every willing partner in Congress and in Washington state — to help families in our state find and afford quality child care,” Murray said.

Junaid Haq, Director of the Parent Child Center at Shoreline Community College, said, 

“As the Director of a Parent Child Center, I truly understand the importance of serving our faculty, students, and community with high quality childcare. 

"My center helps our faculty and community families to continue to work, and our students to follow their goals and future endeavors. 

"I strongly believe that further investments in childcare will help with families that receive financial assistance and the amount that childcare providers are paid."

Earlier this year, Senator Murray reintroduced her Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to solve the child care crisis and ensure families across America can find and afford high-quality child care.

Senator Murray has long fought to strengthen the Child Care and Development Block (CCDBG)—and last year as Chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee, she successfully secured a 30% increase in funding for the program. 

As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray secured another $700 million increase for CCDBG in the draft fiscal year 2024 funding bill that passed out of Committee in July.