(WatchDogReport.org) – President Biden has signed an executive order addressing care options available to America’s youngest and most vulnerable citizens. The order sets forth provisions promising to grow the nation’s child care and long-term care access. It also covers a raise in pay for workers in the care-providing industry.
Susan Rice is the Biden Administration’s domestic policy adviser. She says the care systems in America are lacking and that the executive order will improve their current status. The order includes 50 directives, and Rice claims it is more complete than any similar order ever issued.
The order delegates responsibilities to various governmental organizations concerning their respective childcare and long-term care needs. Federal agencies are tasked with researching grants to fund the care industry and reviewing childcare subsidies for families connected with federal projects.
The Defense Department will also address child care for families on military bases and make it more affordable. The Department of Veterans Affairs will work on better care access for veterans in their homes and at healthcare facilities.
The Department of Labor is instructed to publish its employee contract forms so that workers are well informed before starting jobs. The Department of Health and Human Services will focus on a better process for childcare within the American Indian and Alaskan Native communities. It will also be responsible for pay increases within the Head Start program.
Despite the many detailed directives, President Biden did not include any dollar amounts to fund the details of the order. Instead, he intends that current monies be reappropriated and used in ways that can accomplish the order’s instructions.
Healthcare and childcare workers are among the lowest-paid members of society in the United States. Often, they are from minority communities. On the other hand, out-of-pocket costs for these care services are some of the most expensive for the nation’s families, including a 25-50% increase in the last 10 years.
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