There’s a child care crisis in this country—and with emergency funding running out soon, it will get even worse. This urgency prompted the Democratic Women’s Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives to hold a shadow hearing today titled “The State of Child Care in America: Addressing the Looming Child Care Funding Cliffs for Women and Families.” MFN’s Laura Weeldreyer will speak as an expert witness before the Caucus.

Today’s hearing will focus on the American Rescue Plan, which allocated $39 billion to shore up the child care industry amid the pandemic. Those funds are on track to expire, and advocates warn that once they do, child care will become much more expensive and harder to find. That prompted the Century Foundation to release a report on the topic in coordination with today’s Caucus hearing. In a New York Times article released today, the Century Foundation called it “a looming crisis for the industry” and predicts tuition hikes, layoffs, and program closures as well as “child care disruptions for three million children, close to a third of those in child care.”

Other experts invited to testify include representatives from the National Women's Law Center and the Century Foundation, as well as Maryland child care provider Carolina Reyes. The event is slated for 3 PM and you can watch the hearing live at the Democratic Women’s Caucus Twitter feed. 

You can also register now for a webinar scheduled for tomorrow to learn more about the Century Foundation’s report “Unless Congress Acts, We’re Heading Toward a Child Care Cliff” from 1:30 – 2:30 PM ET.