Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), a Senate Armed Services Committee member, and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) have reintroduced the Childcare Expansion for Military Families Act, their bipartisan legislation to improve and increase childcare services for military families.
“Insufficient access to childcare services makes life harder for our service members and keeps people from joining the armed forces,” said Senator Cramer. “Our bipartisan legislation would direct the Pentagon to find ways to expand access to childcare and help us better understand how this becomes such a frequent problem. It’s a commonsense step toward improving the lives of the people who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom.”
“Arizona servicemembers put their lives on the line to keep us safe and secure, and it is our duty to ensure their access to safe and reliable childcare services. Our bill strengthens support for Arizona servicemembers and their families by improving and expanding childcare services across military installations,” said Senator Sinema.
The bill aims to provide accessible childcare by making it easier for the Defense Department to use construction funds for expanding childcare centers on military installations. It also directs the Department of Defense to conduct an assessment of the availability of local infant and early childhood mental health consultation services in and near military installations to address the unique needs of military children, which include frequent moves and having one or multiple parents who may be deployed overseas for extended periods of time.
The Childcare Expansion for Military Families Act is supported by Zero to Three, the National Military Family Association, and the Military Child Education Coalition.