On Friday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m. in Alexandria, VA., U.S. Senator Mark Warner will host a socially-distanced conversation on how the COVID-19 crisis has affected childcare providers and educators – a workforce that is disproportionately made up of women of color. The event will be held at the Campagna St. James Early Learning Center at 5140 Fillmore Avenue, Alexandria, VA. Dr. Christine Pegorraro Schull, professor of early childhood development at NOVA will be participating in the discussion alongside Nicole Lazarte, an early childhood development student at NOVA who will be graduating this summer.
Signed into law in March, the American Rescue Plan provides nearly $800 million in critical funding to help Virginians afford quality early childhood care and education and to help ensure that childcare providers can continue operating safely. Specifically, the law includes nearly $306 million for Virginia Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), nearly $490 million for Virginia Child Care Stabilization Grants, and more than $16 million for Virginia Head Start programs to help support operating costs, PPE and tuition assistance for struggling families.
Additionally, the American Rescue Plan includes a historic expansion of the child tax and dependent credit, which would make Virginia families eligible to receive up to $4,000 in tax credits for one child or $8,000 for two or more children. This expanded tax credit would significantly ease the burden of childcare costs for many Virginia families – many of whom pay, on average, more than $14,000 annually for infant care and nearly $11,000 for toddler care.
This event is open to press, but all press must RSVP accordingly and will be asked to practice social distancing and wear a mask. For press inquiries, please contact Nelly Decker, press secretary for Senator Mark Warner at nelly_decker@warner.senate.gov. For other NOVA media inquiries, please contact Hoang Nguyen, public information officer at hdnguyen@nvcc.edu.