Save the Children Applauds the American Families Plan, a Historic Investment in Early Childhood

Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2021) – Save the Children applauds the American Families Plan released by President Biden today, particularly the plan’s unprecedented prioritization of early childhood education and care, as well as its efforts to combat child hunger and poverty.

“The American Families Plan presents a historic opportunity for America’s children and families to thrive like never before,” said Christy Gleason, Save the Children Vice President of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns. “This is an exciting day for kids and families around the country, as well as Save the Children and our hundreds of thousands of advocates nationwide who have been tirelessly advocating on behalf of kids. We applaud President Biden for his leadership in championing children’s earliest years, which we know are crucial in preparing them for success in school and in life.”

The American Families Plan calls on Congress to invest $225 billion in the child care industry, making sure each and every child has access to the high-quality and affordable early care environment they deserve, and ensuring the child care workforce is well-trained and fairly compensated. The plan also proposes to invest $200 billion to provide free, high-quality, accessible and inclusive preschool for all three- and four-year-olds.

The plan also includes components that will help address child hunger and poverty by proposing $45 billion for child nutrition programs, including a permanent extension of the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program which provides essential nutrition to millions of children while not in school. The plan also calls for a permanent expansion of the value of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit while keeping the credit refundable, further assisting families with child care costs.

“This unparalleled investment in early childhood will not only ensure our children succeed, but will also set us on the road to recovery from COVID-19, a crisis that caused a record spike in child hunger and poverty, and devastated the child care industry. The return on this investment will be enormous,” continued Gleason. “Congress must support this bold plan, and join President Biden in fostering a stronger, brighter and more equitable tomorrow for children – the shared future of our nation.”

Save the Children Action Network, the political advocacy arm of Save the Children, will now begin to mobilize its more than 375,000 grassroots advocates in support of the American Families Plan and continue its efforts to help enact the child care provisions in the previously released American Jobs Plan.