DeLauro Joins Parents, Day Care Providers to Highlight True Cost of Childcare

NEW HAVEN, CT—Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) today joined parents and day care providers from across Connecticut to discuss the crisis in child care. Earlier this month, the Connecticut United Way published a report showing that a family of four making just enough to get by would need to spend almost as much on child care alone as on food, transportation, and health care put together – almost 30 percent of the household budget.

“As a country, we always say we value hard work and stable families. That is how it should be. But our public policies make it difficult to succeed economically and raise children at the same time. That is just wrong.

“Congress needs to provide enough funding for low-income families and workers need to make a living wage. We need to ensure universal access to child care and we need to improve the quality of the services by guaranteeing workers at least $15 an hour. I was honored to bring together providers, workers and families today to help build the broadest possible movement for change.”

DeLauro is the cosponsor of a congressional resolution that recognizes the challenges many working families face trying to afford child care and pay their bills and calling for universal affordable child care.

For many Connecticut families, child care is the single largest expense, larger even than their rent or mortgage payments. A study by Child Care Aware found that the average annual cost of child care for one infant in Connecticut is over $13,000. That is $3,000 more than average tuition and fees at a Connecticut public college.

DeLauro is the senior Democrat on the subcommittee responsible for funding many of our nation’s investments in child care, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant.


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