President Barack Obama

The White House

Washington, DC

 

Majority Leader Harry Reid                                                                          Speaker John Boehner

United States Senate                                                                                  U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC                                                                                          Washington, DC

 

Senator Mitch McConnell                                                                             Representative Nancy Pelosi

United States Senate                                                                                  U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC                                                                                          Washington, DC

 

It is our understanding that negotiations regarding the fiscal cliff will deal with tax expenditures but could allow the sequestration to take effect on January 2, 2013.  As organizations representing young children, low income women, and early childhood education professionals, we urge you to take immediate action to delay the sequester for a year in addition to fair raising of revenue on those who can contribute and who have received the greatest benefit from the last decade of tax reductions.

 

We support fiscal responsibility and a fair way to reduce the deficit while spurring greater economic security for everyone. Our national economic strength depends on families’ ability to work, which is undermined when they lose access to affordable child care.  Noted economists have shown that children receiving high quality early childhood education leads to later savings in social services.  Child care is a necessity for many families in order to work.  Programs like Head Start and Early Head Start, the Child Care & Development Block Grant, and early intervention ensure that our nation’s most vulnerable children have the support they need to succeed in school and in life.  

 

The federal government has a longstanding history of funding early childhood education.  It is the largest source of the public dollars in the early childhood education system.  In the current economic situation states are unable to fill a gap of the large federal cuts if the sequester is not delayed or eliminated.  If the sequester takes effect, it will have damaging effects on families’ ability to keep their jobs; employers ability to count on a stable workforce; and children’s  ability to reach their developmental and educational potential.

 

We urge you to exert your leadership to stop a shortsighted fiscal mechanism by delaying or eliminating the sequester. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Early Care & Education Consortium                                                  

National Association for the Education of Young Children

National Black Child Development Institute

National Women’s Law Center

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