The following is a Letter to the Editor from the Opinions section. 

To the Editor:

The child care industry is the backbone of the U.S. economy. Parents of 6.4 million children need child care in order to get back to work. On top of this, the child care industry contributes approximately $100 billion to our economy and employs more than 1.5 million people. 

But, due to coronavirus, many child care centers have closed due to lack of funds and low enrollment. As a nanny and a student in the graduate school of social work, I know the importance of child care to parents, families and the economy. I also understand the importance of quality care for the development of the child. As more and more states, including Colorado, plan how to reopen, it’s become clearer than ever that we need child care – for our children, for our workforce and for our economy. 

Join me and Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) in urging Senator Cory Gardner to join Congresswoman DeGette and a number of other Colorado lawmakers in cosponsoring the Child Care is Essential Act. This important piece of legislation is focused on immediate relief, providing financial support to stabilize the child care industry. It would allow child care providers to safely reopen, hire staff, pay rent and buy the supplies they need such as cleaning supplies and PPE. In other words, the Child Care is Essential Act would enable the child care industry to survive and allow our economy to get back up-and-running. 

Policymakers must act. There’s no time to lose – the futures of our children, workforce and economy hang in the balance. 

Lindsey Knowlden