The ABCs of This Economy: Able Bodied and Child Careless

by Helen Blank, Director, Leadership and Public Policy, 
National Women's Law Center 

It is a simple message: if there is no one to care for their children, parents cannot go to work. A New York Times article recently highlighted the difficult choice many mothers in America are facing. As the recession persists and states make steep budget cuts, child care assistance programs may be among the many crucial programs affected.

Without help in paying for child care, many women—ready and very willing to work—may have no choice but to turn to welfare. Yet welfare is not always a viable option either, given that changes made to the welfare program in 1996 set a lifetime limit of five years for welfare. Those 1996 welfare changes also came with a promise that if women tried to move from welfare to work, they would receive the supports, including child care, they needed to achieve that goal. This promise remains unfulfilled for many women. For those lucky to have found jobs, their paychecks are often smaller than their child care bills. And with states pulling back funding, it is a frightening financial lottery for families needing help with their child care costs.

In order to prevent more families from turning to welfare—or being left with no safety net at all if they have exhausted their welfare benefits—and avoid further economic decline, Congress must invest in tools to help families work. One critical tool is the Child Care and Development Block Grant, the primary source of funding to states for child care assistance for low-income families. The National Women’s Law Center, along with a broad coalition of advocates, has put together resources and a petition to stress this need for increased funding to improve the quality, accessibility, and affordability of child care. Please stand with us today as we call for steps to address the challenges faced by working mothers in America.