After the U.S. House passed the latest coronavirus relief package, the HEROES Act in May, the Senate has taken the first part of summer to develop their own stimulus package. The Senate majority is preparing to roll out their latest coronavirus relief proposal as soon as next week as Congress faces growing pressure to act amid a surge of new cases.
AOF and member organizations asked Ohio’s U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown this week to include provisions of the Pandemic TANF Assistance Act, including the Coronavirus Emergency Assistance Grant Program, and significant funding to the child care industry to help get individuals and families back on their feet.
The health and economic burdens of COVID-19 are falling disproportionately on people of color and people with very low incomes — who faced significant economic and health challenges before the pandemic — and provisions of the new Pandemic TANF Assistance Act would provide financial assistance to many of these families and protection from the negative consequences of previous policies.
The child care industry is at risk of losing nearly half of all slots and substantially more support so families won't struggle to find care as they look to safely return to work. According to our partners at Policy Matters Ohio, without federal action, Ohio could lose 204,000 child care slots. Congress needs to pass legislation with at least $50 billion in federal funds to save child care.