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Media advisory

Toddlers to Give Awards to Child Care Champions Including Minority Whip Clark, Sen. Murray, Other Members of Congress as Moms from 25 States Urge $16 Billion in Child Care Stabilization Funds This Year

April 16, 2024
Early Care & Education, Federal Budget

Magen Eissenstat, 202/609-9889

 

** Toddlers’ Choice Awards Media Advisory **

For Thursday, April 18, 11 am ET

A red carpet. Trophies. Snacks. And toys for toddlers will be on display when more than 40 moms from 25 states, several with their children, visit Capitol Hill on Thursday to urge Congress to pass the $16 billion needed to stabilize our country’s child care system. At that event, toddlers and children will honor congressional child care champions U.S. Senator Patty Murray (WA), House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (MA), and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR), Rosa DeLauro (CT), Suzan DelBene (WA), Jimmy Gomez (CA), Pramila Jayapal (WA), Ayanna Pressley (MA), and others. 

Toddlers’ Choice Awards

11 am, Thursday, April 18, 2024

U.S. Capitol Lawn, Grassy Area Next to the House Triangle

With

Moms and Kids from 25 States Honoring

Sen. Patty Murray, Minority Whip Clark, Reps. Bonamici, DeLauro, DelBene, Gomez, Jayapal, Pressley

MomsRising Executive Director and CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and  Executive Vice President Donna Norton, will help present the awards. MomsRising members from AZ, CA, CO, FL GA, IL, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, and WV will participate.

Spanish-speaking moms, children and staff will participate. Getty photos will be available afterward.

Following the event, MomsRising will deliver stories from moms across the nation to the office of each member of Congress. “A strong, stable child care system allows moms and parents to stay in the workforce, businesses to find the workers they need, and our economy to be strong,” Rowe-Finkbeiner says. “We need high-quality, affordable child care for all our kids, when they are infants and when they are in school, whether they have learning needs or not, and no matter their family’s income. And we need fair wages and benefits for our amazing child care workforce. The $1 billion increase for child care and Head Start in the FY24 budget was a significant win not only for moms and families, but also for businesses and our economy. But it was only a downpayment on the investment we need to stabilize and strengthen our child care sector. MomsRising members will tell Congress it’s critical to pass $16 billion in child care stabilization funds this year.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.