Bill Text: NJ AR180 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Urges passage and enactment of federal "Child Care Is Essential Act."

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-08-27 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR180 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-AR180-Amended.html

---

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 180

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JULY 27, 2020

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  GABRIELA M. MOSQUERA

District 4 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblywoman  LISA SWAIN

District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)

Assemblywoman  CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman McKnight, Assemblyman Benson and Assemblywoman Vainieri Huttle

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Urges passage and enactment of federal "Child Care Is Essential Act."

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Assembly Women and Children Committee on August 24, 2020, with amendments.

  

An Assembly Resolution supporting the passage and enactment of S.3874/H.R.7027, the federal "Child Care Is Essential Act."

 

Whereas, Child care providers are at the forefront of the nation's response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, yet financially, the child care industry has been one of the most affected industries during the pandemic; and

Whereas, Approximately half of the country's child care centers have stayed open throughout this crisis to serve children of essential workers who serve their communities; and

Whereas, However, faced with reduced enrollment and steep drops in revenue, child care providers struggle to remain viable and implement the necessary health and safety precautions to protect children and child care workers during the pandemic; and

Whereas, About half of child care providers throughout the country have stopped collecting revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many providers face the possibility of permanent closure; and

Whereas, According to an analysis from the Center for American Progress, the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to a permanent loss of nearly 4.5 million child care slots nationwide, leaving millions of families without the child care they need to return to work; and

Whereas, As communities across the country move toward reopening, and parents return to work, it is more important than ever to ensure that child care providers receive federal support in order to continue to serve their communities by providing child care services in a safe and healthy manner; and

Whereas, Child care providers need financial assistance to purchase necessary cleaning supplies, reduce group sizes, adjust staffing levels, and modify classroom space and materials to lower the risk of children and child care staff of becoming infected with COVID-19; and

Whereas, Initial estimates suggest that modifications necessary to implement social distancing and sanitization requirements to respond to COVID-19 may increase child care providers' costs by thirty percent; and

Whereas, The federal "Child Care Is Essential Act," S.3874, sponsored by Senators Murray (D-WA), Smith (D-MN), Warren (D-MA), Casey (D-PA), and Gillibrand (D-NY), and H.R.7027, sponsored by Representative DeLauro (D-CT), would provide funding for grants to support child care providers in order to stabilize the child care industry; and

Whereas, Specifically, the legislation establishes the Child Care Stabilization Fund within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, and appropriates $50 billion to the fund for grants to child care providers during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency; and

Whereas, The grants would be available to licensed child care centers, home-based child care providers, and family day care homes that were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic or are currently open as a result of a state's reopening plan; and

Whereas, The amount of the grants would be based on the centers', providers', or homes' pre pandemic operating costs adjusted for the increased costs of providing child care as a result of the pandemic, regardless of whether the centers, providers, or homes had previously received funding through the ¹[CCDB] CCDBG¹ program; and

Whereas, The stabilization grants would be used for: personnel costs, including premium pay, employee benefits, and employee salaries; sanitization and cleaning; the purchase of personal protective and other necessary equipment; training and professional development related to health and safety practices; fixed costs, such as mortgage, rent, utilities, facility maintenance, and insurance; mental health supports for children and employees; modifications to child care programs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and other goods and services necessary to maintain or resume operation of a child care program or to maintain the financial viability of child care centers, home-based care providers, or family day care homes; and

Whereas, As a condition of receiving the grants, licensed child care centers, home-based child care providers, and family day care homes would be required to continue to employ and pay their staff, and to provide families with relief from copayments and tuition for the duration of the COVID-19 public ¹health¹ emergency; and

Whereas, Child care centers, home-based child care providers, and family day care homes that receive the stabilization grants and reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic would further be required to meet health and safety guidance from state and local authorities and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and

Whereas, Grant recipients that remain closed would be required to provide assurances that the child care provider would reopen once the provider is able to implement all health and safety requirements; and

Whereas, The passage and enactment of the federal "Child Care Is Essential Act" is necessary to offset the increased costs of sanitization and other operational modifications needed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purchase of personal protective equipment, and the training and professional development of staff related to health and safety practices that child care centers, home-based child care providers, and family day care homes must bear in order to reopen and provide safe, affordable, and high quality child care both during and after the pandemic; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    This House urges the passage and enactment of the federal "Child Care Is Essential Act," S.3874/ H.R.7027, which is necessary to offset the increased costs of sanitization and other operational modifications needed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the purchase of personal protective equipment, and the training and professional development of staff related to health and safety practices that child care centers, home-based child care providers, and family day care homes must bear in order to reopen and provide safe, affordable, and high quality child care both during and after the pandemic.

 

     2.    Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly, to the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and to every member of the New Jersey Congressional Delegation.