Sec. 2. Findings
164 words·~1 min read·
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Congress finds the following: Child care is an essential service that supports children’s early development and allows parents to work. At least 1 out of 2 child care providers closed at some point during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2 out of 5 face the possibility of permanent closure. The lack of access to child care services can prevent parents from returning to work and can prevent children from accessing critical services, including meals. Ensuring the safe re-opening and operation of child care service settings during periods of community transmission of COVID-19 will require child care providers to adopt new measures and practices in order to reduce the likelihood of COVID-19 transmission.
Such measures and practices must ensure the safety of children as well as child care workers, who may be at high risk of infection. Ensuring that working families have access to safe child care service options is critical to supporting young children’s development and to returning the economy back to its pre-pandemic levels.