Liberate Families with Low Incomes-Wave Family Fees for Child Care!

Many California families with low incomes have struggled terribly during the ongoing pandemic. There is also an outdated family fees system that often forces families to make difficult choices, such as paying rent, skimping on groceries, or paying child care fees. AB 92 (Gomez-Reyes) will help families and child care providers achieve economic security within the child care system. The bill promotes whole-family wellness by waiving family fees for childcare -- immediately putting money back into the pockets of families who need it most. Child care providers making near-poverty earnings are held whole by the state under this AB 92. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for affordable child care, especially for mothers and communities of color, mostly essential workers, who work in low-paid service industries and have borne the brunt of hardships during the pandemic. Working parents and child care providers are the backbone of our economy. AB 92 will show them how grateful we are for their sacrifice. Waiving family fees is an efficient anti-poverty solution that has already proven successful during the pandemic. California has waived family fees through June 30, 2022; AB 92 would waive fees an additional 16 months through October 31, 2023. I join the American Association of University Women in urging you to pass AB92 and to provide funding in the Budget to ensure child care providers receive funding in lieu of family fees through October 31, 2023.