Washington, D.C. :

 On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, North Carolina Representative Ashton Wheeler Clemmons and 90 other legislators from 41 states were in attendance when President Joe Biden's Administration hosted the White House States Convening on Child Care in our nation's capital.

 This convening follows historic actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to lower costs and expand access to child care, including most recently announcing an HHS notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would strengthen the Child Care & Development Block Grant program (CCDBG), which supports 1.5 million children and their families each month with child care assistance. First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, joined the convening to provide closing remarks.

 Rep. Clemmons was honored by the invitation to attend the convening to discuss child care policy achievements from the 2023 session. She is eager to continue her work to make child care more affordable for working families, increase child care provider supply to meet the demand and improve job quality for child care workers. She filed several bills this session that support and move this agenda forward. Rep. Clemmons founded the bicameral, bipartisan Early Childhood Caucus and serves as co-chair.

The event was anchored by Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council; Neera Tanden, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council; and Tom Perez, Assistant & Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

 “It is an honor to be part of such a critical discussion about childcare. Increasing access to affordable childcare is one of the most important things we can do - for the North Carolina of today and the North Carolina we hope to be.” Rep. Clemmons