Kay Granger: “I am talking today more as a single parent myself, who worked very hard to support my children from the time they were…”

“I am talking today more as a single parent myself, who worked very hard to support my children from the time they were tiny, and I know that quality child care is absolutely necessary, first of all to meet the needs of the children, but to meet the financial needs of the family. A job well done adds dignity to the individual but it adds stability to the family. I know we are setting the bar high for welfare recipients. They can make that bar if we provide quality child care, and we are doing that at more than double what we did, a minimum of $2 billion. But after my children were grown and my business was successful, I served as mayor of my city, so I understand local control, and the flexibility that we are allowing under this bill is extremely important so that States can move the funds where they are needed most. It will allow the States to make their individual decisions. We have made great progress in welfare, moving people off the rolls, but what is important is the hope we see in the faces of those children and those parents. I strongly support this legislation. I think it is very important, this minimum of $2 billion, to add a sense of hope to the lives of those people.”