Jackie Speier: “today, in California, 1.7 million children under age six require childcare because of working parents. Of these, nearly…”

“today, in California, 1.7 million children under age six require childcare because of working parents. Of these, nearly 200,000 are served in local programs that receive money from Child Care and Development Block Grants. Mr. Speaker, you and I know that in the San Francisco Bay Area, most families rely on a minimum of two incomes just to make ends meet. In a time of rising gas and food prices and uncertain economic prospects, many are forced to take on additional jobs just to keep up. Yet, the President's budget, for the sixth straight year, does not provide enough just to maintain the current level of services. In fact, the budget for Child Care and Development Block Grants falls $41 million short and hasn't been adjusted for inflation since 2003. Mr. Speaker, like most states, California can illafford to pick up the slack, which in 2009 will total over four and half million dollars. Since 2002, our state has been on the hook for $52.7 million. Meanwhile, the president has provided just a 2.1 percent increase for Head Start, a program widely acknowledged as one of the most successful in the federal government. This won't even keep pace with inflation and falls woefully short of what is needed to catch up to the more than $110 million in funding that California has lost relative to Fiscal Year 2002 funding.”