Most of the parents who walk through my door everyday are single moms, working minimum wage jobs. And each and every single one of my parents is receiving support from Connecticut's Care4Kids, a program that makes child care affordable for low and moderate-income families.
Unless Congress acts soon, looming sequester cuts to child care funding will leave thousands of parents in Connecticut without access to the child care services their families and children depend on.
Without programs like Care4Kids, many of these parents couldn't be self-sufficient or employed, because they wouldn't be able to afford child care. It's a tough decision that we would all end up paying for.
During my eight years as a councilwoman on the Hartford, Connecticut City Council, I observed firsthand how our public school systems determine whether or not our children are poised for success or failure based on whether or not they can read by the 3rd grade. Too often children fall victim to the school-to-prison-pipeline because they have not been given the early learning tools they needed to thrive. I've made it a point to ensure that every child who is under my care knows all the basics by the time they get to Pre-K.
Instead of coming after the services hardworking families depend on, Congress needs to focus on job creation and ensure that everyone pays their fair share. There's far too much wasteful spending in Washington, D.C. Let's invest the resources where we need them the most - in our children's futures.
Every child deserves to have a loving and nurturing environment to grow and thrive in, regardless of where they come from. We're all in this together, so we should make sure that everyone has a chance to succeed.
