To: Interested Parties

From: Child Care for Every Family Network

Date: February 11, 2026

Subject: Funding Child Care Should Be the Priority –  Thursday’s HELP Committee Hearing

TOMORROW, Thursday, February 12, the Senate HELP Committee will convene a hearing at 10am EST titled “Restoring Integrity: Preventing Fraud in Child Care Assistance Programs.” ​​The timing and framing of this hearing could not be more disconnected from reality. 

“The real crisis facing child care is chronic underfunding and systemic instability. Rather than manufacturing scandals and funding crises, lawmakers should address the actual problem: ensuring permanent, sufficient funding so providers can keep their doors open, parents can go to work, and children have the stable care they need to thrive,” said Andrea Paluso, Co-Director of the Child Care for Every Family Network. “Our collective focus must be funding child care.”

While Republicans claim to investigate “fraud,” the Trump Administration has spent the past weeks actively destabilizing the child care sector – freezing funds in Minnesota, California, New York, Colorado, and Illinois, delaying payments nationwide through “Defend the Spend” processes, and providing zero evidence to justify why they are doing any of it. 

At the same time, Congress must act to ensure children, families and child care providers aren’t living in fear of unchecked violence at the hands of ICE as they raid preschools and child care centers, terrorizing immigrant families and providers who make up one in five child care workers. This isn’t oversight or accountability, but a deliberate effort to dismantle essential support for working families under the guise of combating fraud.

The Essential Role of Stability in Child Care

• Stable child care anchors the daily lives of families and our economy. Child care is essential for many parents to be able to go to work, which in turn helps ensure financial security for their families and strengthens our economy.
• Child care providers and early educators are the backbone of our communities. They must be respected, and protected from harassment or harm to ensure the child care system remains strong and available for all.
• Funding cuts put all child care providers at risk. Most child care providers require both public and private funding to keep their doors open. If public support is cut, the entire center’s survival is at risk.
• Permanent and sufficient funding for child care is the only acceptable path forward, requiring politicians, parents, and providers to come together. We must safeguard the child care options families depend on and build a future where every parent has the option to secure the child care they need.
• All families deserve reliable access to care that meets the needs of their children. Consistent access to child care is vital for the safety and routines children count on every day.

See HERE for the Child Care for Every Family Network’s statement calling on Congress to oppose additional funding for ICE and CBP. 

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