Readout of the Build Back Better (BBB) Investments in Universal Pre-K and Child Care Roundtable

Yesterday afternoon, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra hosted a virtual roundtable on the Build Back Better Investments in pre-K and child care with stakeholders from advocacy organizations and think tanks. Secretary Becerra emphasized that investments in pre-K and child care will be a game-changer for working families and women—who have borne the brunt of the child care crisis during COVID-19 and long before.

Secretary Becerra informed participants of his intentions to make child care and early childhood education more accessible, more affordable and higher quality, as well as to prioritize equity throughout implementation of new funding. He asked these stakeholders, who are policy and advocacy leaders, for recommendations to ensure success and maximize stakeholder engagement throughout the process. Participants are listed below.

• First Five Years Fund (FFYF)
• Start Early
• The Hunt Institute
• Alliance for Early Success
• Center for American Progress (CAP)
• National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)
• National Women’s Law Center (NWLC)
• Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Should the Build Back Better framework become law, a top priority will be to encourage all states to participate and opt into the program. Organizational leaders expressed support for transforming a pandemic-driven crisis impacting families, providers, and businesses, into a generational opportunity for a stronger child care and early childhood education system, the creation of competitive jobs for new and returning employees in the space, and economic revival.

Secretary Becerra underscored the importance of prioritizing transparency during implementation, while also expecting accountability.

Today’s roundtable discussion builds on Secretary Becerra’s longstanding commitment to investing in early childhood education and child care. On Wednesday, December 8, he hosted an additional roundtable on this topic, where he met with eight organizations that represent providers in the child care and preschool space.

In his closing statement, Secretary Becerra urged participants to “be our partners in this mission, because only together can we ensure that the benefits of this bill reach the people they’re meant to help.”