Issued January 22, 2015
WASHINGTON--In response to President Obama's announcement of a proposal to increase investment in child care, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:
President Obama's announcement today of plans to expand block grants to support child care for low-wage workers, and his proposal to enlarge tax credits for middle-class earners, are very welcome steps to restoring prosperity for working people and promise a brighter future for young children. Hundreds of thousands of parents struggle to find affordable, quality child care while on waiting lists, their lives complicated by employers who offer low wages, scant sick leave, few benefits and unstable work schedules.
"Two decades of declining real wages have provoked a crisis for parents of young children. In response to falling pay, fast-food workers, airport workers, home care workers, adjunct faculty and, yes, child care providers have risen up, demanding living wages and a union.
"The administration's actions, backed by the actions of workers themselves, offer a new day of hope for working families.
"President Obama has raised the bar for action to support working families. SEIU members challenge states and Congress to match his commitment."