I see myself in this stat.  Have you been there too?  I’m one of millions of parents across this country who depend on child care.

Without child care, I don’t know how I’d be able to get to work and provide for my family.  I am not alone: Nearly 12 million children under age five regularly spend time in child care. [1]

This week is our last week to stand up and say families depend on early learning programs like child care and preschool.

States across the country will close preschool classrooms and add more children to child care waiting lists unless the U.S. Senate invests in early learning programs before the end of the year. [2] Tell your Senators to stand up for families today:

http://action.momsrising.org/letter/National_EarlyLearning_12-2010/

- Click that big bold link above and contact your Senators for parents across the country!  It takes less than a minute, I promise!

- Click for Angela in Alabama, whose daughter, a college honor student, still remembers the name of her amazing Head Start preschool teacher (Head Start classrooms across the country could disappear).

- Click for Kathleen in Connecticut who, with theCare4Kids program, has the opportunity to both go to college and work to provide for her family (Care4Kids is one program that might be cut).

- Click for Elizabeth in Iowa, whose boys are now proudly serving in the military, but she fondly remembers the support she got as a young working mother and wants to make sure other parents have the same resources (If the Senate doesn’t act, parents in Iowa could see longer waiting lists for child care).

Or click for your own family.

Right now the U.S. Senate is debating the appropriations bill, which dictates how we fund government programs, including early learning programs.

We need to make sure the U.S. Senate knows that families are counting on them to do the right thing.  Urge your Senators to pass a bill and to support funding for early learning!

http://action.momsrising.org/letter/National_EarlyLearning_12-2010/

Could you also share this blog post with a few parents you know who would take action and contact their Senators? (The red “Share” link below makes it easy!) We’ve got to make sure every Senator understands that families across America are counting on them.

Together we are a powerful voice for families!

P.S.  MomsRising members across the nation have shared powerful stories about their own family’s early learning and child care experiences. Check out our map to read their heart-warming, real-life experiences — and then add your own experience too.

P.P.S.  Here at MomsRising we’re very thankful for everyone that’s already working to save early learning programs across this country, including the National Women’s Law Center, Voices for America’s Children, First Focus and NACCRRA.

P.P.P.S  We already know that quality preschool and early learning programs are crucial because more than 85% of a child’s core brain structure is formed by age five.  If you’d like to read more about the impacts of affordable, quality early learning and brain development, check out: “Learning Begins at Birth,” State Early Childhood Policy Technical Assistance Network (PDF)

[1] U.S. Congressional Committee on Education and Labor, July 2009 (PDF)

[2] “Children should not be left out in the cold,” National Women’s Law Center