>> WELCOME BACK TO THE NEWS
DROP EVERYBODY, THE NEW
CORONAVIRUS RELIEF MEASURE
PROVIDES ALMOST 50 BILLION
DOLLARS TO THE CHILDCARE SECTOR
WHICH HAS TAKEN A SIGNIFICANT
HIT DURING
THE PANDEMIC SOCIAL DISTANCING
MEASURES LOCKDOWN CLOSURES AND
PARENTS OUT OF WORK LEAVING
MANY PROVIDERS URGING LEADERS
FOR HELP JOINING US NOW MARIA
CARDONA CHIEF OF POLICY AND
PRACTICE FOR CHILD CARE AWARE
OF AMERICA AND FORMER SENIOR
POLICY ADVISER FOR THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION. ALL RIGHT
WELCOME TO THE SHOW LIMB LET'S
DIVE RIGHT AND HOW WILL THESE
NEW FUNDS HELP CHILD CARE
PROVIDERS.
>> YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
YOUR INTEREST IN THE
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE
WERE SO HAPPY AND PLEASED
TO SEE RELIEF PACKAGE THAT WAS
SENT TO THE PRESIDENT LAST WEEK
WITH THE SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC
INVESTMENT
IN CHILDCARE. 38 MILLION IN
ADDITION TO THAT THE 10 BILLION
DOLLARS
A CAR. IT WAS PASSED IN
DECEMBER IS REALLY GOING
PROVIDE A LIFELINE TO CHILD
CARE PROVIDERS AND TO FAMILIES
AS THEY WRESTLE WITH THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THE PANDEMIC
AND THE ASSOCIATED ECONOMIC
RECESSION AND THOSE FUNDS ARE
GOING TO
BE CRITICAL AND HOW THE CHILD
CARE PROVIDERS STAY OPEN.
AND HELP ADDRESS ALL THE
DIFFERENT COSTS THAT HAD
THEMSELVES WITH
MINIMAL SUPPORT. TO TO
INSTITUTE MITIGATION MEASURES
IS WITH THE PANDEMIC INCLUDING
PROVIDE PERSONAL
PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT. INCREASE
ELATION, SANITATION MEASURES
AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND IN
ADDITION THAT'S GOING HELP MORE
FAMILIES AFFORD CHILD CARE.
>> I'M CURIOUS ARE YOU HAVE YOU
THINK.
>> THESE FUNDS SHOULD BE
ALLOCATED AND WHAT ROLE DO THE
LOCAL AND STATE LEADERS SHOULD
PLAY.
>> YES,
GOOD SO THE THE BULK OF THE
FEDERALLY FOR REALLY ALL OF IT
IS GOING TO GO INTO THE STATES.
IS BEING PROVIDED A REALLY
FLEXIBLE MANNER BECAUSE THEY
SMOKE COUNTIES HAVE THE BEST
SENSE OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE ON
THE GROUND. AND SO HOPEFULLY
STATES WILL IS TO A LOT OF THE
PROTECTIVE MEASURES THAT WE'VE
SEEN
SOME STATES. USE FOR PREVIOUS
RELIEF FUNDS INTO WE'VE SEEN
STATES LIKE REALLY REDUCE THE
AMOUNT OF COCAINE AND SEE IF
YOUR ANSWER FOR FOR KAREN TO
THAT YOU KNOW A $1.25 A MONTH
THE STATE
OF ALASKA, ELIMINATING
CO-PAYMENTS FOR FAMILIES WHO
ARE ELIGIBLE FOR CHILD CARE
ASSISTANCE ALTOGETHER. AND THAT
PROVIDES A LOT OF HELP FOR
FAMILIES WHO WERE PREVIOUS
HAVING TO INCREDIBLE SUMS OF
MONEY OUT OF POCKET TO HELP
BEFORE CHILDCARE AND IN
ADDITION
TO THAT YOU KNOW IT WILL
PROVIDE AN INCREDIBLE LIFE LINE
TO PROVIDERS HOPEFULLY IN THE
FORM OF INCREASED COMPENSATION
AS WE KNOW IT'S A
WORKFORCE THAT. STRUGGLE SET TO
GAIN THE RECOGNITION AND
RESPECT THAT
IT DESERVES. AND SHOCKING
WORKERS ARE LARGELY UNDERPAID
MAKING A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN
$12 AN HOUR.
AND WE'VE SEEN SOME BOOST
COMPENSATION FOR CHILD CARE
PROVIDERS DURING THE PANDEMIC
AND ALSO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE
BENEFITS THAT THEY DIDN'T
OTHERWISE HAVE ACCESS TO PAID
SICK LEAVE.
>> I'M SO GLAD YOU SAID THAT
BECAUSE I WANT YOU IF YOU CAN
TO ELABORATE ON HOW CHILD CARE
IS ESSENTIAL FOR OUR ECONOMY.
>> YEAH, I MEAN
SO CHALK THERE IS
INFRASTRUCTURE. I MEAN
CHILDCARE IS AS ESSENTIAL AS
BRIDGES
AND ROADS BECAUSE WITHOUT IT
FOLKS CAN'T WORK IT IS AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR ECONOMY
AND I THINK THAT. YOU KNOW
ALL THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE PANDEMIC IT HAS REALLY
BROUGHT TO THE CRITICAL NEED.
AROUND
CHILDCARE AND HOW IMPORTANT IS
FOR FAMILIES IS THE PROVIDERS
INTO THE EMPLOYERS WHO WOULD
BENEFIT FROM LETTING
HER STATION.
IN PLACE AND IT'S BETWEEN WOMEN
AND YOU KNOW THERE'S BEEN
A HUGE HIT IN TERMS OF LABOR
FORCE PARTICIPATION AMONG WOMEN
DURING THE COURSE
THE PANDEMIC I THINK IT'S IT'S
CENSUS STATISTICS IN DECEMBER
SHOW THAT WE LOST ABOUT A
140,000 JOBS. AND ALL OF THEM
WERE WOMEN I DIDN'T LAST AND
THEY LOOKED AT THE AT THE
CENSUS DATA AND SO IS REALLY
CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT THAT CONGRESS AND THE
ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE TO PAY
SIGNIFICANT ATTENTION TO CHILD
CARE AND MAKE SURE THAT HAS THE
RESOURCES THAT
IT NEEDS IN THE LONG TERM SO
THAT A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WAS
DESCRIBING BEFORE IN TERMS OF
MAKING ACCESS. YOU
KNOW CENTRAL. INTO THE
CONVERSATION AROUND TOWN CARE
BUT THEN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
PROVIDING NEEDED SUPPORTS FOR
THE WORKFORCE. IS A TOPICAL
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND MOVING
FORWARD.
>> I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU
THAT CHILD CARE IS AN OBSTACLE
FOR SO MANY AMERICANS WHO HOPE
TO GO BACK INTO THE OFFICE SO
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR US AS A
SOCIETY TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING
CHILD PROVIDERS.
>> I MEAN SO SOME OF I'VE BEEN
SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
LAST COUPLE OF DAYS IS THAT
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO'VE BEEN ASKING A LONG
TIME FOR.
>> INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN
HEALTH EDUCATION YOU HAD NO THE
LLOYDS YOU THAT THAT IS NOT TO
REMEMBER THE FEDERAL RESERVE
TALKING ABOUT
IMPORTANT ASSIST AND DURING THE
COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR IT'S
REALLY BEEN THE STORIES OF
PARENTS AND PROVIDERS IN ALL
THE DIFFERENT STRUGGLES THAT
THEY'VE BEEN FACING DURING THE
PANDEMIC THAT HAS BROKEN
THROUGH POLICYMAKERS. AND SHOW
THEM HOW CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
IS THAT WE PROVIDE.
>> SOME LEVEL.
>> OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WHO
ARE SEEKING CHILD
CARE ASSISTANCE. AND A CRITICAL
PART OF THAT OF COURSE IS
SUPPORTING THE WORK FORCE
MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE
SUPPORT
THEY NEED TO THAT THE CARE THAT
THEY'RE THAT THEY'RE GIVING
SEND CHILDREN
TO FAMILIES. AND SO IT'S A IT'S
A MOMENT, IT'S A BIT OF A
MOMENT FOR CHILD CARE. AND YOU
KNOW THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN
PROVIDES HISTORIC INVESTMENT
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO ADDRESS THE
ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD
CARE AND WE NEED GREATER
INVESTMENT IN IN STATING TO BE
THINKING ABOUT LONG-TERM
INVESTMENTS
IN CHILDCARE THE BETTER SUPPORT
PARENTS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
>> DOES THIS NEW LAW SIGNED BY
PRESIDENT BIDEN GO FAR ENOUGH
IN YOUR OPINION. MARIO.
>> IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT
TO HELP MEET THE IMMEDIATE
A CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND
FAMILIES AND IT'S SOMETHING
THAT THE ADVOCACY COMMUNITY HAS
BEEN RAILING AROUND FOR THE
PAST YEAR.
>> AND SO MY HOPE.
>> IS THAT STATES ARE GOING TO
TAKE THAT MONEY AND REALLY
LISTEN COMMUNITIES TO SEE WHERE
THE
NEEDS ARE. AND DIRECT THOSE
FUNDS PARTICULARLY IN
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN HIT
THE HARDEST DURING THE PANDEMIC
BUT ALSO AS THEY HAVE IN TOWN
HISTORIC INEQUITIES THAT
HAVE COSTS. COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR IN PARTICULAR AND LOW
INCOME FAMILIES TO THE STRUGGLE
TO ACCESS. AFFORDABLE HIGH
QUALITY CHILDCARE IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES AND SO I THINK THAT
THIS INVESTMENT WE'LL GO A LONG
WAY AND AGAIN. I THINK IF YOU
NEED ME AND HE IS A PROVIDER
SELLING THEM, STAY OPEN AND
REOPEN IF THEY HAD TO CLOSE AND
THEN HELP FAMILIES AFFORD
CHILDCARE BUT IN THE LONG TERM.
THERE'S GOING TO NEED TO BE
ROBUST STABLE DURABLE
INVESTMENT AND CHILDCARE IN
ORDER TO
ALL THE YOU KNOW THAT ARE THAT
THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FACE.
>> SUCH AN IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION, ESPECIALLY AS WE
HEAD TOWARDS OUR POST-PANDEMIC
WORLD AND MORE AMERICANS
HEADING BACK TO WORK WE REALLY