DeLauro Praises Administration's Focus on Middle Class

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today in response to the Obama Administration's proposal to include an increase to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), as well as the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), in its fiscal year 2011 budget.

"I am very pleased that President Obama is focusing on middle class families and the difficulties they are currently facing. Coupled with the recession, the cost of raising a child can be a tremendous burden for many struggling families, with per annum costs reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars. President Obama's proposals, which include nearly doubling the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for middle class families, and providing an additional $1.6 billion in help will make a difference in the everyday lives of millions of American families." "In order to provide further relief to families struggling with the high costs of raising a child, I also believe that we should continue to look to ways to permanently expand the Child Tax Credit building on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That legislation put more money in the hands of working families by lowering the eligibility threshold for the Child Tax Credit in 2009 and 2010 from $12,550 to $3,000, providing an increased credit to the families of 15.9 million children, including 5.5 million newly eligible children."