11-12-2023 12:30am

Legislation to Increase U.S. Small Business Administration Support for Child Care Small Businesses

Beth Callahan Editor

LEBANON, OH -- Congressman Landsman and Congresswoman Letlow’s bipartisan Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Actwould increase the U.S. Small Business Administration’s role in supporting for-profit child care small businesses across the country.

The Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Act follows Congressman Landsman’s introduction of the Child Care Nutrition Enhancement Act in September to address financial challenges faced by child care providers who utilize the Child and Adult Care Food Program – a key federal program that reimburses child care providers for meals and snacks they serve to children.

In August, Congressman Landsman brought U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman to Cincinnati to tour a for-profit child care provider and discuss the need for greater federal support for child care small businesses.

The Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Act would:

Designate a point-person at the U.S. Small Business Administration whose focus is on supporting for-profit child care providers
Require the U.S. Small Business Administration to conduct a study on the needs and challenges of for-profit child care providers, identify what resources the SBA currently provides to for-profit child care providers, and make recommendations to address the challenges faced by for-profit child care providers

“Our goal is to make life better for children and families, and increasing access to quality, affordable child care is a huge part of that,” said Landsman. “The U.S. Small Business Administration has a role to play, which is why our legislation would make sure there is a point-person at the federal level whose focus every day is improving child care in our country. Our legislation also requires SBA to study the child care crisis inside and out so that Congress has the information it needs fix this crisis. When child care providers are successful, children are taken care of, parents can go to work, and our economy continues to grow.”

“Quality access to affordable child care is essential for working parents across our nation,” said Letlow. “As a single mom, I see firsthand how important child care is in order for women to return to the workforce after having children. I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation so those parents can focus on going to work each day to provide for their families, and ensure child care providers have the resources needed to be successful and help move our economy forward.”

The full text of Congressman Landsman and Congresswoman Letlow’s Child Care Small Business Insight and Improvement Actcan be found here.