Congress must support quality child care

With 37 years of experience as a child care director in Cedar Rapids, I understand the need to subsidize child care. I have worked for both corporate and private child care. Both put the needs of children first. Quality care aids childhood development and gives those children an advantage, as they enter elementary school.

Staff who work these jobs take on a huge responsibility dealing with children’s personal growth and the parents' needs on a daily basis. These jobs are essential and deserve dignity and respect. Our community benefits when we have quality child care

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed a fragile business to the brink of collapse. Each center still is fighting to keep parents and children safe and cared for despite financial stress. Childcare is a building block of a strong economy. Without qualified staff to work, centers have to reduce the number of children they can enroll. If we want to help those parents who need to return to work we need to support the Build Back Better agenda and the child care provisions in the framework. This cycle will rebuild the economy on the foundation of a care economy.

I’m calling on my members of Congress to support The Build Back Better Plan which will help ease the burden of high costs of child care on working families and make investments in children and caregiving. Childcare is fundamental to our shared values of family and community and we can’t afford to not pass this transformative legislation.

Debbie Koopman

Cedar Rapids