rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/tell-congress-invest-in-child-care?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-tell-congress-invest-in-child-care' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> CHN Action https://actionnetwork.org/groups/coalition-on-human-needs https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg On September 30th, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that had helped to stabilize the child care industry expired. More than 70,000 child care centers could close, leaving 3.2 million children without child care. This will have a disproportionate impact on families in rural communities, families with low incomes, families headed by single parents, and BIPOC families. Advocates are calling for at least $16 billion a year in emergency funding to prevent this devastating loss of child care supply. As Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, clearly stated: “There was a child care crisis even before the pandemic – and failing to extend these critical investments from the American Rescue Plan will push child care even further out of reach for millions of families and jeopardize our strong economic recovery. This is an urgent economic priority at every level: child care is what allows parents to go to work, businesses to hire workers, and it’s an investment in our kids’ futures. The child care industry holds up every sector of our economy – and Congress must act now.” The effects of this lack of funding will be felt for generations and will severely exacerbate income and racial inequity in this country. Keeping our government fully funded means meeting our emergency child care needs now to support families and the critical child care workforce. Click “Start Writing” to send a message to Congress urging them to support families by making critical investments to child care. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-invest-in-child-care