Congresswoman Sara Jacobs Joins Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Mondaire Jones in Announcing Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53) spoke today at a press conference introducing the Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act with colleagues Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY-17). Congresswoman Jacobs is an original co-sponsor of the bill, which ensures that every family has access to high-quality, affordable child care by establishing a network of federally supported, locally administered child care options and boosting early learning programs. For more information on the bill, click here. 

Achieving universal child care and reducing childhood poverty are among Congresswoman Jacobs’ top priorities in Congress. Shaunte Brown, a College Area resident and child care provider, will join Congresswoman Jacobs as her virtual guest for President Biden’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28. Brown has owned a family child care center in California’s 53rd Congressional District for 24 years.  

For video of the press conference, click here. 

Congresswoman Jacobs’ initial remarks at the press conference are as follows: 

Well, good morning! 

It’s great to be here with you all, and with my friend Congressman Jones, and especially with Senator Warren, who has been leading the fight for child care and early childhood education for so many years. 

I’m excited to be part of the team that is leading the Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act – on behalf of the millions of kids and working parents who have been struggling through this pandemic and really need the help.  

Before I came to Congress, I started and led a non-profit initiative to address childhood poverty in San Diego County. 

And even before this pandemic, in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, we had 40% of our kids living in families experiencing poverty. 

60% of San Diego families couldn’t afford or access child care that met their needs, and in the state of California, more than half of all families can’t afford or access child care.  

In the wealthiest state in the wealthiest country that the world has ever known, this is simply unacceptable. 

And since the pandemic hit, we know that this has only gotten worse. 

In San Diego County, more than 500 child care centers have closed. 

That’s 500 small businesses that our communities relied on, 500 slots of child care that were already scarce that are getting scarcer. 

We know that COVID-19 did not create this crisis, but it exacerbated it and it has shown us all how important child care is. 

I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill – on behalf of the millions of child care providers, working parents, and kids, who deserve better. 

And I’m proud to represent the millennial generation – a generation that is living through the second economic crisis of our adult lives and a generation who knows that we cannot nibble around the edges. 

We need to reimagine. We have to think differently, and we have to be able to solve these big problems. 

For decades, we’ve muddled through with no real model for how working parents are supposed to function in America. 

And for a lot of folks, this last year was the breaking point. Especially for millions of women and people of color. 

Tomorrow, I’m honored to host Shaunte Brown as my guest for President Biden’s address to the Joint Session of Congress. 

Shaunte is a CA-53 resident, a UDW member, and a small business owner, and she has been a child care provider for 24 years. She’s been on the frontlines of the child care crisis and knows exactly what’s at stake if we don’t get this bill done. 

But this bill offers a clear solution: universal access, subsidies to support working parents, and national standards to ensure quality. 

I’m especially proud that it would make sure no family pays more than 7% of their income on child care. 

And what’s especially exciting is that we know that it works. 

We know that Head Start works. We know that pre-k works. We know that early childhood education means healthier kids in the long-run. 

And for those who say we can’t afford this, I say, we can’t afford not to.  

This is a down-payment on our future and the future of our country.  

Investing in our kids is the best return on investment that we can make.  

And as we are looking at a changing international landscape and competing with China, making sure that we are investing in our kids is the most important thing we can do with our national security. 

Thank you both. I’m honored to be doing this bill with you and I’m excited that we’re going to get it done.  

Thank you.