Making high-quality child care affordable and accessible needs to be a priority, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) said during a recent press conference that also highlighted how the impact of the lack of child care burdens primarily women.
“I’m really glad to stand here with my colleagues from both the House and the Senate to say that we need legislation to enable all of this," Hirono said, according to her website. "Businesses large and small are talking about how much they need employees, and yet they don’t seem to be able to connect the dots that a large part of why they can’t meet those needs is because we don’t provide affordable, accessible child care.”
Last year, Hirono, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) reintroduced the Child Care for Working Families Act. It would ensure that working-class and middle-class families have access to high-quality, affordable child care. Hirono also helped pass the American Rescue Plan Act, which included $39 billion for child care programs in the U.S., including nearly $130 million to support Hawaii child care programs.
Hirono pointed out that employers can’t find enough workers and parents are stressed because they can’t find accessible, affordable child care.
“We are one of the few countries -- developed nations -- that does not provide this kind of support to our families,” she said, according to her website.