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Breaking News from America's Progressive Community... Latest Releases
Press releases?
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| SEPTEMBER
8, 1998 9:33 AM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Childrens Defense Fund Phil Sparks, 202-326-8700 or Keri Monihan, 202-326-8728, of the Communications Consortium, or Charles Fulwood of the CDF, 202-662-3620, or Faith Wohl of the Child Care Action Campaign, 212-239-0138 |
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| Pre-Election Poll Finds Strong Support For Child Care Policies Helping Working Families | ||||
| WASHINGTON
- September 8 - As the 1998 election season gets underway at Labor Day, a national survey
released today indicates that most Americans think that is very difficult for most
families to fund affordable, good quality child care and by wide margins they will support
candidates for election who address this issue. By even wider margins families with
children, especially young children, agree. The national opinion survey was sponsored by the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and the Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC), and was taken of 1,013 American households by Opinion Research Corp. International of Princeton, N.J., between Aug. 20 and 23. In regard to the upcoming elections, survey respondents said they would support candidates for office who helped remedy the child care needs of America's working families: -- 53 percent said they would be extremely likely or very likely to vote for a candidate "who helped low-income working families afford the high cost of good quality child care." Another 29 percent said they were somewhat likely to vote for a candidate advocating this issue. -- 69 percent said they were extremely likely or very likely to vote for a candidate for office who supported after-school programs "that helps keep school age children from being home alone after school lets out," or "that help teenagers engaged in constructive activities on and off the streets." -- 73 percent of Americans say the federal government should "provide financial assistance to help pay for child care" to working families since the government already provides working families with financial assistance to help pay for their children's college tuition. "Americans have said it loud and clear in these poll results: support high-quality child care and good after-school programs and you'll get our vote! American families need care they can depend on and can afford. And they understand that child care helps ready children to do well in school. Now it's up to Congress and state officials to make it happen," declared Faith Wohl, president, Child Care Action Campaign. Answering the question, "How difficult do you think it is for most American families today to find affordable, good-quality child care?" 59 percent of poll respondents said it was extremely or very difficult, 28 percent said somewhat difficult, 4 percent said not very difficult, and 3 percent not difficult at all. In households with children under 6 years old, 70 percent said that finding affordable, good-quality child care was extremely or very difficult. "This poll underscores the fact that the public wants elected officials to start dealing with this problem, instead of ignoring it. Congress has the opportunity before it adjourns in October to invest in strengthening and expanding child care programs. We hope they don't leave town without addressing the pressing need to put more resources into child care," stated Helen Blank, director of Child Care and Development, Children's Defense Fund. Americans also strongly link child care and preschool programs to early childhood development and education efforts. For example: -- 68 percent said they were extremely likely or very likely to vote for a candidate for office who supports child care and preschool activities "so that all children can enter school ready to learn." -- 80 percent of Americans believe if Congress "provides new tax breaks to middle-income families" then Congress should also provide "child care assistance for low-income working families." The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. ------ Press Note: In an effort to make sure that Congress understands the stories behind these poll numbers, Lifetime Television will connect families to their congressional representatives so that policymakers can learn first hand the difficulties working families face when looking for affordable and quality child care. These stories are among the more than 2,000 that Lifetime has received in response to its public campaign, "Caring for Children: Our Lifetime Commitment," launched last spring in partnership with a national network of organizations, including CCAC and CDF. Media interested in stories from their area should contact Andrea Camp at 410-719-2309. ### |
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