Press Release: Councilmember Vincent C. Gray Applauds President Biden’s Support for Universal Pre-K; Seeks Birth-to-Three Funding
News Release — Ward 7 DC Council member Vincent Gray
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2021
Contact: Takiyah “T.N.” Tate
“Now is the Time for Leaders on Capitol Hill and here in the District to Act.”
Washington, D.C. – D.C. Councilmember and former mayor Vincent C. Gray released the following statement on President Biden’s “American Families Plan,” a $1.8 trillion spending proposal to address a wide range of social issues, among them expanded access to early childhood education and daycare.
“I applaud President Biden for announcing his support for universal Pre-K. The president is a visionary leader who sees our unmet needs and is boldly addressing them without hesitation,” said Gray. “I fully support President Biden’s plan for universal Pre-K, and I know it will be a success. In the District, we established universal Pre-K nine years ago. Today, we are seeing remarkable results. This investment does more than simply pay for itself; it paves the way for our children to flourish. In an ever-increasingly competitive world, it is our duty to empower children to succeed.”
President Biden’s plan promises free universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds, exactly what the District has offered for nine years. Biden’s plan calls for a $200 billion investment in preschool. His plan also seeks to invest $225 billion to make childcare more affordable and to increase wages of early childcare providers, most of whom are largely women of color and currently earning an average of $12/hour without benefits. Additionally, the president’s plan would also fund childcare costs for working families so that no one would pay no more than seven percent of their income for childcare.
President Biden’s plan builds on the success of universal Pre-K in the District, the first of its kind in the nation.
Councilmember Gray seeks to expand universal pre-K in the District through his “Birth to Three” legislation which won unanimous approval from the D.C. Council, but is as yet not fully funded.
“It is imperative that Congress acts now to approve the American Families Plan and, at the same time, I call on my Council colleagues and the mayor to fully fund Birth-to-Three here in the District,” said Gray.
“These are big ideas, and as we know, big ideas that fail to win legislative support are often swept to the wayside for a generation. We have the funds, but more importantly, we have an extraordinary unmet need. Now is the time for leaders on Capitol Hill and here in the District to act.”
Background on the District’s universal Pre-K program and Birth-to-Three initiative can be found in this Washington Post OpEd penned by Gray: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/local-opinions/dc-reaped-benefits-of-expanded-preschool-now-we-must-focus-on-even-younger-children/2019/11/22/ad5acca8-0b13-11ea-bd9d-c628fd48b3a0_story.html
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