Peters Helps Reintroduce Legislation to Make Child Care More Affordable and Accessible

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) joined a group of his colleagues in reintroducing the Child Care for Working Families Act. This comprehensive legislation aims to make child care more affordable and accessible for hardworking families in Michigan and across the country. The bill would expand access to pre-K and support full-day, full-year Head Start programs that families rely on. Senator Peters proudly joined this legislation as an original cosponsor amid the Trump Administration’s drastic cuts to resources that help working families succeed, including cuts to health care, food assistance, and Head Start.

“Lack of affordable child care is an ongoing crisis in Michigan. This issue impacts not only families but our entire economy,” said Senator Peters. “When parents struggle to find child care, they lose out on opportunities to provide for their family, while businesses lose out on talented workers. This bill would help ensure all families can find and afford quality child care, making a needed investment in our nation’s future.”

A 2023 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that a child care shortage is hurting Michigan’s economy on numerous fronts, including reducing labor force participation, causing worker absenteeism, and curbing Michigan’s gross domestic product output. According to the report, between lost tax revenues and business earnings, Michigan loses nearly $3 billion in economic activity every year due to lack of child care access.

Specifically, the Child Care for Working Families Act would:

• Improve the quality of child care and expand families’ child care options: The bill would help address child care deserts by providing resources to help open new child care providers in underserved communities. It would also increase child care options for children who receive care during non-traditional hours and support child care for children who are dual-language learners, experiencing homelessness, and in foster care.

• Support higher wages for child care workers: Child care workers would be paid wages comparable to elementary school teachers who have similar credentials and experience.

• Expand access to high-quality pre-K: States would receive funding to expand high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
• Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

Senator Peters has long fought to improve access to affordable child care and support working families in Michigan. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Peters recently secured resources in funding legislation advanced by the committee to help Central Montcalm Public School’s Early Childhood Center in Stanton, Michigan to provide more child care and educational services for the community. Earlier this year, Peters sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., demanding answers about the closure of five regional Head Start Offices across the country, including Chicago’s Region 5 office, which serves Michigan’s Head Start centers. Peters made clear that this decision will negatively impact the early educational programs and child care support that children and families depend on.

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