Child care

Senator Unveils Plan To Make Quality Child Care Affordable, Accessible

June 17, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - According to a new report released by U.S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the cost of child care in New York is rising by $730 per year. County-by-county estimates show that costs are rising across age levels in every corner of the state. In response to the growing costs of child care, Senator Gillibrand today unveiled her plan to make child care more affordable and accessible for working parents.    » read more »

Recovery Act funds will expand aid for eligible families, improve quality of care and delivery of services

May 28, 2009 -- RICHMOND -- Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine today announced a $38 million infusion into Virginia's Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The increased federal funding will assist low-income families with child care and improve the quality of care and delivery of services.    » read more »

May 5, 2009 -- Atlanta, Ga. -- HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Richard Besser announced new CDC guidance on closure of schools and child care facilities where there has been reported cases of the novel H1N1 flu virus.

The new guidance was developed in consultation with top scientists at the CDC and some of the top public health departments across the country.

Statement by HHS Secretary Sebelius and Acting CDC Director Besser:    » read more »

Funds to provide quality child care so parents can work

April 17, 2009 -- TALLAHASSEE – Florida Governor Charlie Crist, continuing his efforts to reinvigorate Florida’s economy, today announced the availability of $105 million in federal economic stimulus funds over three years for Florida’s Early Learning program. The stimulus funding will be distributed to the state’s Early Learning Coalitions by the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation to provide additional child care opportunities for income-eligible parents and help enhance the quality of child care services to children and families.    » read more »

January 26, 2009 -- When parents have access to proven parenting information and support designed to address problems all families face—from tantrums to encouraging good behavior—key measures of child maltreatment fall, according to a study released in the Jan. 26 online edition of the journal Prevention Science.

The study, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found lower rates of confirmed abuse cases, child out–of–home placements, and hospitalizations and emergency room visits for child injuries in counties where parenting support was implemented.    » read more »

May 5, 2008 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA - U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today proposed landmark legislation to reverse chronic underfunding of child care and increase the availability of high-quality child care to children in low-income and working class families. This gross underfunding over the last seven years has left only one in seven eligible children receiving federal assistance and the national average wage for child care workers is barely above the poverty line.    » read more »

February 8, 2008 -- "I am disappointed to see that the President has continued to ignore America's neediest families by freezing appropriated funding for child care assistance for low-income families for the seventh consecutive year, even as the percentage of children under six with only working parents has grown.    » read more »

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 7 – Discovery Communications today announced plans to open Discovery Kids Place and Crikey Cove, an onsite childcare facility at the company’s global headquarters in Summer 2008. The company will honor Steve Irwin in special ways throughout the center by celebrating his passion for protecting and preserving wildlife, and for his devotion to his family. Terri Irwin attended a ceremony today at the company’s global headquarters to dedicate the center in her husband’s memory.    » read more »

August 22, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that the state has granted more than $21 million to not-for-profit child care referral agencies across the state that help parents find child care services for their children, and an additional $1.1 million to agencies that advise providers on how to best care for the special needs of infants and toddlers. The funds will expand services that help parents access quality child care.    » read more »

August 22, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has signed into law legislation that protects working mothers. ability to continue providing nutrient-rich breast milk to their infants upon return to the workplace.

The legislation requires employers to provide uncompensated time, and make a reasonable effort to provide private space for women to express milk or nurse their children for a period of up to three years following the birth of a child. In addition, it also bars an employer from discriminating against an employee exercising this right.    » read more »

Child Care Tax Credit Will Assist Low-income Families with the Cost of Child Care

August 2, 2007 -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Eliot Spitzer today announced that the Governor has signed into law a local Child Care Tax Credit-a key recommendation of the Mayor's Poverty Commission. The tax credit is designed to assist low-income and underemployed families with the cost of child care for children under the age of four, and it is estimated that up to 49,000 New York City families will qualify for this benefit.    » read more »

State to infuse program with $45 million

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 17, 2007) – Governor Ernie Fletcher and officials from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) today announced an infusion of $45 million to the state’s Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to make child care more affordable and simplify the process for providers.    » read more »

52 Districts Approved to Help Increase Access for 4-Year-Olds to Quality Preschool

July 17, 2007 -- (Des Moines) – Today, Iowa Governor Chet Culver is announcing the names of the 52 school districts in Iowa receiving state funds under the new statewide voluntary preschool program for 4-year-old children.    » read more »

June 5, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today praised the Environmental Protection Agency’s announcement of support for his proposal to remove toxic lead from childcare, pre-school, and kindergarten facilities. Senator Obama originally introduced S. 3969, the Lead Poisoning Reduction Act of 2006, during the 109th Congress to require all child care facilities that are outside of the home to be certified lead-safe in five years.    » read more »