Child care centers react to President Biden's $225 billion funding plan

Friday, October 15, 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- On Friday, President Joe Biden spoke in Connecticut about his Build Back Better Agenda, which includes a $225 billion investment toward child care during the next 10 years for funding for child care providers, ensuring no middle-class families pay more than 7% of their income for child care and raising the minimum wage for child-care workers to $15 an hour.

Infants Palace in southeast Raleigh serves 25 children. That number has gone down by 13 during the pandemic.

"We've been closed down for the COVID about twice and each time we close, we lose children, and then we have some parents that have lost their employment," said owner Vernette Moore.

She said Biden's plan could potentially be good for her business.

"That would be beneficial to childcare providers because that way, we will be able to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour, whereas before we weren't able to do it because we just couldn't afford it," Moore said.

Little Believers Academy has locations in Garner and Clayton.

"I support President Biden's plan wholeheartedly," said Executive Director Cassandra Brooks. "Everybody in the United States of America should. Every child deserves the opportunity. Every child deserves education, no matter who they are, no matter their ZIP Code, no matter who their parents are, no matter if they have a parent, or if they have an absent parent. Every child deserves access to a quality education."

Brooks said: "When you're given the ability to help families, capping it off at 7% of the income, that is a great way too, to help boost the economy, helping families being able to get back on track, especially just post-pandemic as we move into that, families getting them back into the workplace."

The child care proposal is part of a bill that hasn't been passed as Democrats have not been able to muster the votes within their own party on Capitol Hill.

Republicans oppose the bill, which has a $3.5 trillion price tag.
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