Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleagues this afternoon in expressing support for the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program, and I too commend Senator Mikulski, Senator Burr, Senator Harkin, and Senator Alexander for crafting this bipartisan bill and bringing it to the Senate floor for debate and amendment. Childcare for working parents is essential to families throughout the Nation, and Maine is no exception. For years the CCDBG Program has assisted low-income parents in affording childcare. The support provided by this important program enables parents to obtain needed care for their children so they may work or improve their own skills and education. Mr. President, 2,600 children from 1,800 Maine families receive Federal childcare subsidies through this program. Particularly during these difficult economic times, this program goes a long way in helping families in Maine and across the country. I have seen firsthand the impact of high-quality early learning on a child's ability to succeed and grow. Educare Central Maine, located in Waterville, which I visited a few years ago, is a state-of-the-art early learning center that serves more than 200 mostly low-income children from birth to age 5. Almost half of these children come from families that are eligible for assistance, and many rely on the CCDBG voucher to help cover the cost of their attending Educare.…”