What They Are Saying: Support for Fischer’s Child Care Modernization Act

A wide range of organizations and groups have endorsed Senator Deb Fischer's (R-NE) Child Care Modernization Act. Last week, Fischer introduced the bipartisan bill alongside Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and John Hickenlooper (D-CO). NBC reported first on Fischer's legislation here.

The Child Care Modernization Act will reauthorize, for the first time in over a decade, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) to help provide quality, affordable child care to America's working families.

What they are saying:

"Access to affordable, reliable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing working families. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is a vital part of facing that challenge head on. We're grateful to Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the Child Care Modernization Act of 2025. This legislation offers an important opportunity to strengthen and sustain CCDBG while also addressing child care needs in real time. This will help serve more families both now and in the future," said First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling.

"Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to support the Child Care Modernization Act and thanks Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) for their leadership updating the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the primary federal program that helps working families afford child care. With the national annual price of child care at an average of $13,128, we know that child care is out of reach for many families across the country. The Child Care Modernization Act recognizes that we must do more to make child care more affordable and more available, and alongside strong investments in our child care system it would move us forward towards that goal," said Child Care Aware of America CEO Susan Gale Perry.

"BPC Action is proud to endorse the Child Care Modernization Act, which reauthorizes and modernizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG has long been a bipartisan program that delivers for families, and this legislation strengthens that legacy by helping parents better access affordable, high-quality care while supporting the workforce that provides it. Child care is essential economic infrastructure for working families, and we commend Sens. Fischer (R-NE), Gillibrand (D-NY), Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Collins (R-ME) for their bipartisan leadership in advancing solutions that strengthen children, families, and the economy,"said President of Bipartisan Policy Center Action Michele Stockwell.

"This bipartisan bill comprehensively addresses foundational challenges in child care, with common sense policies and solutions that are informed by the real-world experiences of those who provide early care and education throughout the United States," said Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska.

"School-aged care provided in afterschool programs is a lifeline for working families. 8 in 10 parents report that afterschool programs give them peace of mind and help them keep their jobs. This bipartisan legislation will help increase access to affordable, high quality afterschool and summer programs at a time when programs are out of reach for too many parents," said Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant.

"The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC) commends Senators Fischer and Gillibrand for the bipartisan introduction of this vital legislation to modernize and reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG reauthorization is long overdue, and essential updates are needed to ensure the program meets the needs of today's families. This bill aims to strengthen CCDBG by expanding access to high-quality, affordable care for working families, providing greater flexibility to states to connect more families to care, ensuring providers are reimbursed for the true cost of care, which includes better wages and benefits for educators, and addressing child care deserts. ECEC appreciates Senators Fischer and Gillibrand's steadfast commitment to ensuring that American families can go to work knowing their child is in a safe and nurturing environment," said Early Care and Education Consortium Executive Director Radha Mohan.

"Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC) supports the Child Care Modernization Actbecause it strengthens our national workforce, supports economic opportunity, and ensures our country stays globally competitive. This bill takes important steps to provide additional flexibility to states as they seek to address critical child care supply challenges in communities across America while giving working parents choice in how they select care for their children while they participate in the workforce," said Executives Partnering to Invest in Children President & CEO Nicole M. Riehl.

"Independent restaurants and bars are powered by working families, and too many of them struggle to find the affordable, reliable child care they need to stay in the workforce. For small businesses with razor-thin margins, this isn't just a family issue, it's an economic one. The Child Care Modernization Act will give parents in our industry the support they need to keep showing up for their teams and their communities. We are grateful to Senators Fischer, Gillibrand, Collins, and Hickenlooper for leading this bipartisan effort to make child care more accessible and sustainable for America's families," said Independent Restaurant Coalition Executive Director Erika Polmar.

"KinderCare proudly supports the Child Care Modernization Act and applauds Senators Fischer and Gillibrand for their bipartisan leadership. As the cost of raising a family continues to rise, modernizing the nation's primary child care access and affordability program is both timely and essential. This legislation will strengthen support for families and ensure more children have access to the high-quality care they need to thrive," said KinderCare Learning Companies Vice President of Government Affairs Patrick Murray.

"Facilities are an essential program feature often omitted from the discussions about increasing access to affordable, quality care. This legislation is particularly impactful because it incorporates resources for states to address facilities obstacles that inhibit the ability child care operators to provide affordable, quality care. Many child care providers lack the ability to address facilities needs because razor-thin operating margins, unpredictable operating streams, and lack of consistent and effective capital subsidies make it difficult to access to mainstream financial products. This bill will make it possible to better serve children, families, child care professionals and local communities," said Child Care and Early Learning LISC National Program Director Bevin Parker-Cerkez.

"The Low Income Investment Fund applauds Senators Gillibrand (D-NY) and Fischer (R-NE) for their bipartisan leadership in addressing the needs of families, child care providers, and communities through the Child Care Modernization Act. By recognizing the critical importance of federal investment in child care facilities, this legislation will help modernize infrastructure, strengthen quality, and ensure the health and safety of our nation's children while helping expand our workforce," said Low Income Investment Fund CEO Dan Nissenbaum.

"For decades, America has treated child care like a personal problem instead of what it really is, an economic imperative. That's why it matters that Senators Fischer and Gillibrand are reaching across the aisle with the Child Care Modernization Act. Families everywhere are drowning in child care costs, and businesses are losing talent because parents can't find or afford care. No parent should have to choose between feeding their babies and funding their daycare. This bill takes a critical step by funding the supply of child care we desperately need. This is what real pro-family policy looks like,"said Moms First CEO & Founder Reshma Saujani.

"Counties are essential partners in the nation's child care system and responsible for administering the Child Care Development Block Grant in eight states. The Child Care Modernization Act will help improve families' access to affordable, high-quality child care by making much needed updates to CCDBG and expanding the supply and capacity of providers. Counties thank Senators Fischer and Gillibrand for their bipartisan leadership and urge swift passage of this legislation,"said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase.

"As we recognize foundational business functions like accounting, software, and internet services as essential to success, we must also recognize child care as a critical business support. We commend Senator Fischer for prioritizing solutions that lower child care costs for working families. A bold, nationwide investment in child care is not only a matter of supporting families, but a priority for keeping the strength, resilience, and long-term vibrancy of the women-owned business economy," said National Association of Women Business Owners CEO Jen Earle.

"As an organization committed to the infrastructure of child care, NCFN applauds the inclusion of child care facilities funding in the Child Care Modernization Act. Investments in both the workforce and physical infrastructure are critical to building supply of child care that meets the needs of families and builds strong communities,"said NCFN Executive Committee.

"Affordable, reliable child care is vital to helping every child get a strong start and ensuring parents can stay in the workforce. The Child Care Modernization Act will strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant by capping costs for families, expanding access to quality options, and giving states flexibility to build a diverse system of providers. This legislation is especially important for rural communities, where families too often face limited choices. Save the Children applauds Senators Fischer, Gillibrand, Collins, and Hickenlooper for championing this effort to modernize and expand access to child care nationwide," said Save the Children Head of Policy Allison Dembeck.

"The National Child Care Association is pleased to endorse the Child Care Modernization Act. It is exciting to see another bipartisan bill introduced to support child care. Thank you Senators Fischer, Gillibrand, Collins, and Hickenlooper for working together to propose a viable solution to this essential matter,"said Director of the National Child Care Association Cindy Lehnhoff.

"Child care is a vital economic development infrastructure. Modernizing child care goes beyond facilities. It's about empowering the workforce, improving quality, and making early learning accessible to every family. When parents can work confidently, knowing their little ones are in the best care, it helps employers recruit and retain top talent. It allows families to fully engage in their work and guarantees children are ready for kindergarten and academic success. This is how we build a stronger future for our country - one where families are supported, employers thrive, and the next generation has the foundation to reach their absolute potential," said TOOTRis Founder & CEO Alessandra Lezama.

"Child care programs are critical to fostering the healthy development of children and supporting America's economic engine. As a leading provider of early childhood and school-age care, and an employer in more than 10,000 communities nationwide, the YMCA supports the bipartisan Child Care Modernization Act, which seeks enhancements to CCDBG that will benefit families, providers and communities,"said YMCA of the USA President & CEO Suzanne McCormick.

"The Child Care Modernization Act, if funded sufficiently, offers a meaningful opportunity to improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Because the bill would invest in the early childhood education workforce, improve how educators are paid, and build the supply of quality child care, NAEYC endorses this legislation, and is particularly appreciative of the bipartisan leadership of Senators Fischer, Gillibrand, Collins, and Hickenlooper to call for the funding necessary to implement it. We look forward to working with these offices and other leaders in Congress to continue to increase support and investment for policies that improve access to a quality child care system that works for children, families, educators, and our economy," said National Association of the Education of Young Children Chief Policy & Professional Advancement Officer Daniel Hains.