Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff is working across the aisle to expand childcare in rural Georgia.
Today, Sen. Ossoff launched a push to pass the bipartisan Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act of 2023, legislation he co-sponsored to improve childcare access in rural Georgia.
The bipartisan bill would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prioritize funding for applicants seeking to address the availability, quality, or cost of childcare in agricultural and rural communities.
“Every child in Georgia deserves a safe, healthy, and happy place to learn during their formative years,” Sen. Ossoff said. “No family in Georgia should have to worry about availability and access to childcare. That is why I am working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to lower costs and boost access to quality childcare for families in rural Georgia.”
According to a 2023 brief by the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), rural children under five years old make up 24 percent of children eligible for child-care services nationwide, yet 55 percent of these children live in a child-care desert.
Sen. Ossoff continues working to support families across rural Georgia.
Last month, Sen. Ossoff announced this year’s bipartisan government funding bill, which was signed into law, included a $1 billion increase in funding to boost access to quality childcare and Head Start programs in Georgia and nationwide, roughly a 30 percent increase in funding.
In the last year alone, Sen. Ossoff has delivered funding through Head Start for local programs across Georgia, including in Augusta, Albany and Southwest Georgia, Baldwin County, Northeast Georgia, Hancock County, and more.
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