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WASHINGTON – As states continue to reopen, the availability of childcare remains a hot-button issue.
WNYNewsNow asked Congressman Tom Reed during his weekly media conference Wednesday for an update on his push to bring more Federal funding to childcare. The Republican says that he is working with members of the Senate to give childcare providers “direct access to federal resources.”
“I think it’s widely recognized that childcare during this crisis (COVID-19 pandemic) is something that needs to be assisted,” Reed said. Reed adds that the push is crucial to ensuring children have a safe place to be cared for.
“Being a father myself, my wife and I, our top priority is the safety of our children,” Reed said. “You have to make sure that the children have a safe and secure environment to go to. Given the nature of the crisis, given the nature of the anxiety and threats that are associated with the crisis, we have to make sure the childcare resources are there so that our families have some, some assurity that their children are going to be safe and sound.”
A bill was introduced on July 20 by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) in the Senate called Back to Work Child Care Grants Act of 2020. The bill calls for the Federal Government to provide grants to support the provision of child care by reopening and maintaining the operation of child care programs.
Multimedia Journalist Justin Gould contributed to this report.
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