A FIGHTER FOR OUR FAMILIES
A FIGHTER FOR OUR FAMILIES
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Affordable Child Care & Universal Paid Family Leave
Affordable Child Care & Universal Paid Family Leave
Child care is often a second rent payment for young families. There are too many families that have to make the tough choice of going back to work just to pay for daycare, or putting a career, or dream, on pause to stay home. Child care is not only an affordability issue, it's a workforce issue, a women’s rights issue as an overwhelming majority of caretaking has fallen on women, and it’s an economic issue.
Senate Priorities
Senate Priorities
My approach is simple: if parents are working, Washington should make it easier—not harder—for them to afford safe, high-quality care. In the US Senate, I will advance legislation to bring real relief:
Provide universal paid family leave for new parents to bond with their child and recover from the whirlwind of childbirth or adoption.
Cap child care costs at a small percentage of household income.
Provide incentives for child care providers serving designated child care deserts.
Implement universal Pre-K so kids can have better educational opportunities earlier as well as provide child care relief for families earlier.
Fully fund Head Start programs to deliver early childhood education and child care to communities across Texas.
My Work in the United States Congress
My Work in the United States Congress
I’ve co-sponsored legislation at both the state and federal level that I fully intend to push through in the Senate, including the:
The Child Care for Working Families Act caps child care costs at a small percentage of household income and expanding options in child care deserts.
The Child Care for Every Community Act provides a framework for universal child care that dramatically reduces out-of-pocket costs for parents.
The Paid Time Off (PTO) Act so workers can take time off for illness, caregiving, or personal needs without risking their jobs or a day’s pay.
The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act to create a national paid family and medical leave program that allows workers to take up to 12 weeks off for childbirth, adoption, or serious health needs without losing their income.