{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.casey.senate.gov/newsroom/releases/casey-backed-bill-that-helps-nearly-55000-pennsylvania-families-afford-child-care-every-month-for-over-93000-children-passes-senate-and-heads-to-presidents-desk-for-signature", "Casey-Backed Bill that Helps Nearly 55,000 Pennsylvania Families Afford Child Care Every Month for Over 93,000 Children Passes Senate and Heads to President’s Desk for Signature", "2014-11-17", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "PA", "Bob Casey", "C001070", "www.casey.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington DC- Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced the passage of a bipartisan measure that helps nearly 55,000 Pennsylvania families afford child care each month. The historically bipartisan legislation, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), helps parents work and drive the economy while affording child care. Senator Casey included provisions in the bill that increase investments in early education. The measure passed the Senate 88-1.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased that the Senate came together in a bipartisan fashion to pass this critical legislation,\u201d Senator Casey said. \u201cIncreased investment in early education will help children learn more now and earn more later. Putting in place these policies will serve as a foundation for future economic growth. Helping a child learn at a young age puts them on a pathway to success in a way that few other efforts can match.\u201d\r\nEach month in Pennsylvania, CCDBG funding supports approximately 93,000 children, and over 1.5 million children nation-wide. The program helps parents, giving them access to child care so that the parents can work to support their families, yet CCDBG has not been reauthorized since 1996.\r\nChildren who qualify for a subsidy will receive a year of care before their eligibility is re-determined, promoting stability and continuity for the entire family and encouraging the child to develop strong relationships with his or her teachers and peers in child care. This is especially important for Pennsylvania\u2019s children, as the state recently reduced its \u201credetermination period\u201d from 12 months to 6 months.\r\nIn addition to the new one year eligibility period, key Casey provisions include:\r\n \r\nDesignated Funding for Quality Improvements.\u00a0 The final bill more than doubles the funding for activities that improve the quality of childcare providers.\r\nDesignated Funding for Infants and Toddlers.\u00a0 The final bill creates a designated fund of 3 percent for childcare for infants and toddlers.\u00a0\r\nIncreased Authorizations. The final bill authorizes higher levels of annual appropriations for CCDBG \u2013 approximately 16% over 6 years.\r\n \r\n###\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\tPress Contact\r\n\t\t\t\t\tJohn Rizzo 202-228-6367", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.casey.senate.gov/newsroom/releases/casey-backed-bill-that-helps-nearly-55000-pennsylvania-families-afford-child-care-every-month-for-over-93000-children-passes-senate-and-heads-to-presidents-desk-for-signature"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5421770513057709, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}