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U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Convene Private Sector, Non-Profit and Philanthropic Leaders for First-of-Its-Kind National Child Care Innovation Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo Announces New Census Bureau Action to Track Child Care Data to Inform and Target Solutions to Child Care Crisis.

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce co-hosted, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, a first-of-its-kind National Child Care Innovation Summit. The event brought together hundreds of key public- and private-sector stakeholders from more than 40 states to discuss the vital role of child care as economic infrastructure and work towards accessible, affordable, and high-quality child care. The program highlighted and explored child care solutions during a series of panels, including creative care models and policies, emerging employer approaches, and public-private partnerships that can help address the child care crisis.

During the summit, Secretary Raimondo announced that the Census Bureau will be expanding the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS/ASEC) – the primary source of employment, household income, and poverty statistics for the United States – to more comprehensively understand the economic relevance of child care. More data will enable policymakers, researchers, and advocates to address the child care challenges that American families face daily at scale and will help inform targeted solutions that can support them and strengthen the U.S. economy.

The President’s Council of Economic Advisers also released a new issue brief that underscores the original, positive impacts of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding, including reduced relative price growth and increased labor supply for mothers of young children. The new issue brief explores whether the evidence of those positive impacts has persisted after ARP fund expiration—finding suggestive evidence that these gains have stalled. The brief also highlights state-level efforts, showing that states that implemented stopgap funding in place of federal ARP dollars have been more resilient in the post-funding period.

Finally, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced Data Deep Dive: Women in the Workforce, which examines the shortage of women in the workforce, the root causes that hinder women’s full return, and how this phenomenon continues to cause long-term economic challenges for our nation.

“Cost and accessibility are systemic barriers to child care in the United States, and are holding too many families back from entering, staying and moving up in the workforce. This isn’t a social issue – this is an economic issue. My job is to make the United States the most competitive nation on Earth and we can only do that if we’re tapping into the full potential of our workforce. To do that, American workers need affordable, reliable, and accessible child care options,” said Secretary Raimondo. “We’re taking action under the Biden-Harris Administration to bring relief to families, but government can’t – and shouldn’t – go it alone. We need private sector leaders at the table to work with us, and other stakeholders across the care economy, to identify and target solutions that will support workers, families, and businesses. That’s what today was all about. We took an important step forward through this first-of-its-kind event, and I look forward to building on this work as we move forward.”

“The President knows that affordable, quality child care unlocks better earnings opportunities for parents and boosts retention and recruitment for businesses,” said Lael Brainard, White House National Economic Advisor. “That is why the President is making historic investments in child care directly and in partnership with the private sector and is taking action to support care workers.”

"Rethinking and reimagining child care in this country will go a long way in helping us build stronger families and communities, and a more robust workforce," said U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark. "This is one of the defining challenges of our time—one that will require the talent, strength, and ingenuity of business and the partnership of our leaders in government. The Chamber, and the entire business community, is ready to get to work."

In addition to Secretary Raimondo, speakers included National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, Gender Policy Council Director Jennifer Klein, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne Clark, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation President Michael Carney, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, Suffolk Construction Chairman and CEO John Fish, IBM CEO and Chairman Arvind Krishna, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Congresswoman and Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA), philanthropist Melinda French Gates, Moms First CEO Reshma Saujani, Caring Across Generations Executive Director Ai-jen Poo, SEIU Executive Vice President Heather Conroy, National Association for Family Child Care CEO Erica Phillips, National Association for the Education of Young Children CEO Michelle Kang, among many other private sector leaders, public officials, and care economy advocates and stakeholders.

In addition to announcements from the Department of Commerce, the White House, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the private sector also announced efforts to address the accessibility and affordability of child care:

Investing in America Child Care Partnership Announces New Coordinated Effort

A group of national funders announced the Investing in America Child Care Partnership, a new philanthropic coordinated effort to leverage federal infrastructure and child care funding to strengthen local child care systems and increase the supply of high-quality, affordable child care in communities where highways, roads, bridges, and climate/energy-related projects are underway and semiconductor chips manufacturers are set to begin building or expanding plants. In select counties in Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Ohio (with potential to add others), the Partnership will fund technical assistance to employers to support their diverse workforce and build partnerships with the child care sector; support child care providers to strengthen their business practices by combining federal and state dollars, hire and train staff, and provide quality care; work with county and city officials to ensure supportive local policies to allow for child care supply expansion; and support local grassroots organizations to elevate the voices of child care providers and families to create solutions that work for the community, as a whole. The effort will support immediate community needs and allow for important learnings to inform and strengthen state and federal advocacy and systems improvement.

The group of funders who are implementation partners include the Century Foundation, Child Care for Every Family Network, Community Change, EPIC - Executives Partnering to Invest in Children, National Association of Counties, National Children’s Facilities Network led by IFF, LISC, Low-Income Investment Fund, Policy Equity Group, Public Private Strategies Institute, SEMI Foundation, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Intel Corporation Announces Expansion of Child Care Services

Intel Corporation announced an expansion of its child care services. Specifically, the major U.S. chip company announced an increase in the child care provider networks available to its employees, an expansion to its current backup child care benefits, the launch of a new child care subsidy pilot for non-exempt employees, the launch of a new subsidy program with contractors for apprentices working on its construction sites, and efforts to increase child care availability near its facilities.

View a full list of speakers and participants and the agenda.

Secretary Raimondo first announced the National Child Care Innovation Summit in April during an event at the White House on expanding access to care and other supportive services workers need to train for and stay in good-paying jobs. A White House fact sheet on the Biden-Harris Administration’s progress toward providing care and other supportive services for workers is available here.

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