For Immediate Release

July 3, 2025

In response to the final passage of Congress’ budget reconciliation legislation, Michelle Kang, NAEYC’s CEO, issued the following statement:  

“Standing with millions of educators and families with young children across the country, NAEYC is deeply disappointed that Congress passed a budget that jeopardizes the health, well-being, and education of young children, and also negatively impacts their families and the early childhood educators who support and teach them. 

Over the past several months, members of Congress have heard from thousands of early childhood educators about how harmful this legislation is. Yet they still voted to strip health insurance from educators and families with low incomes, increase their risk of hunger, and close pathways for them to advance their own education while they care for America’s children. 

This bill only exacerbates the enormous challenges faced by families across this country who are struggling to access the high-quality child care they need and their children deserve. Yet in the wake of this devastating setback, we remain proud to stand alongside our community of early childhood educators who work every day to ensure children and families are supported. We will continue to engage, advocate, and work with our national and state partners to build a future in which all educators, families, and young children have the supports they need to truly thrive.”