Reps. McDonald Rivet, Kiggans Introduce Bill to Expand Access to Affordable Child Care

WASHINGTON- Today, Congresswomen Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Child Care Access & Affordability Act. This bill, supported by Democrats and Republicans, would investigate the factors contributing to the lack of affordable and accessible child care in the United States.

"It's becoming nearly impossible for working parents to get child care. They're shown monthly bills that look like mortgage payments, and some waitlists are so long, kids age out before they'd be admitted," said Congresswoman McDonald Rivet. "For kids, parents, and a functioning workforce, we need to address the child care crisis head-on and with courage. Our bipartisan effort is an important start to lowering costs, increasing access, and supporting working parents."

"For too many families, finding affordable, reliable childcare has become a barrier to opportunity. The Child Care Access & Affordability Act takes an important step by getting us the facts we need to fix a system that's simply not working," said Congresswoman Kiggans. "By directing the GAO to examine long waitlists, complex eligibility rules, and the strain rising costs put on both parents and providers, we can better understand where the gaps are and how to close them. Access to childcare isn't a luxury-it's essential for working families, for our economy, and for helping parents get ahead."

The Child Care Access & Affordability Actwould require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to produce a report on issues families encounter when searching for child care. Specifically, the GAO report would explore the difficulties families have in meeting state Child Care & Development Block Grant eligibility standards, the extent of waitlists for child care, state subsidies for child care providers, and the impact of inflation on child care affordability and accessibility.

Congresswoman McDonald Rivet has spent her career fighting to expand access to child care and early childhood education, including as Executive Director of Michigan Head Start and Chief of Staff of the Michigan Department of Education. Last week, the Congresswoman hosted a bipartisan child care roundtablewith Members of Congress, leading policy experts, and advocates. She also recently introduced the bipartisan Early Education Savings Program Act, which would expand 529 savings programs to cover child care expenses. Congresswoman McDonald Rivet is also a member of the Congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus.