By Allison Needles

(EXCERPT)

The more capacity lost, the harder it will be to jump-start the economy, according to Amy Anderson, government affairs director for the Association of Washington Business.

“You’re going to see a lot of businesses that will not be able to reopen or ramp up business at the level you had before,” Anderson said. “It’s just going to be a slow economic recovery as a whole.”

A national push by child care advocates asks for $50 billion to help providers make it through the pandemic, arguing child care is a vital economic necessity. A report by the Center for Law and Social Policy suggests Washington should be allocated more than $830 million. About $3.5 billion was allocated for child care relief in Congress’s CARES Act.

“I think at the end of the day, what providers need is the ability to have some foundation funding to help them make their way through this time — and that takes particularly big dollars,” Puffert said.

At the very least, the pandemic has spotlighted just how important child care is to the economy.

“Because so many people are simultaneously feeling the pinch, it’s brought new urgency to the situation,” Puffert said.

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