Norcross, Booker, Hayes Introduce Legislation to Support Childcare for Student-Parents
InsiderNJ.com
December 20, 2019
U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) this week joined Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to introduce H.R. 5475, the Preparing and Resourcing Our Student Parents and Early Childhood Teachers (PROSPECT) Act. This important legislation would invest heavily in federal grants supporting childcare for student-parents at community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions (MSI’s).
There are over 4 million college students in the United States who are raising children while attending school. Although the number of student parents has been on the rise, the share of community colleges and four-year institutions with campus child care has been in decline. In New Jersey, 46 percent of all residents live in a child care desert, according to the Center for American Progress. The PROSPECT Act would help New Jersey students enrolled in community colleges fight costly barriers to degree completion and make sure more young people have the tools they need to learn and succeed.
“Today, many student-parents are forced to choose work over their education because they cannot afford child care,” said Congressman Norcross, a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor. “Access to quality, affordable child care for college students impacts the strength of our economy and the diversity of our workforce. The PROSPECT Act will help provide student-parents with a level playing field. South Jersey is a leader in higher education, and this legislation will ensure that parents, their children and educators are afforded the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.”