What have democrats done for Alabama, with The Build Back Better Framework and how it has delivered for Alabama!
President Biden’s Build Back Better framework will bring down costs that have held back families in Alabama for decades by cutting taxes and making child care, home care, education, health care, and housing more affordable. These investments will provide new learning opportunities for children, help parents and especially working parents make ends meet, and position the economy for stronger growth for years to come. The framework will create good-paying jobs for residents of Alabama, combating climate change, giving our kids cleaner air and water, and making America the leader in global innovation and 21st century manufacturing.
Deliver the largest investment in child care and early education in history.
Provide access to affordable child care. Child care is a major strain for families in Alabama, where the average annual cost of a child care center for a toddler is $7,592, meaning that an Alabama family with two young children would on average spend 17% of their income on child care for one year.
The lack of affordable options also makes it difficult for parents, and especially mothers, to remain in their jobs, contributing to the 20.1% gender gap in workforce participation between mothers and fathers in Alabama.
The Build Back Better framework will enable Alabama to provide access to child care to about 300,000 young children (ages 0-5) per year from families earning under 2.5 times the Alabama median income (about $195,667 for a family of 4), and ensure these families pay no more than 7% of their income on high-quality child care. The plan will cover the families of 9 in 10 young children in the state.
Free Preschool
Provide universal, high-quality, free preschool for every 3- and 4-year old in America. Today, only 23% of 3- and 4-year-olds in Alabama have access to publicly-funded preschool, and it costs about $8,600 per year for those who can’t access a publicly-funded program. The Build Back Better framework will enable Alabama to expand access to free, high-quality preschool to more than about 105,000 additional 3- and 4-year-olds per year and increase the quality of preschool for children who are already enrolled. Parents will be able to send their children to the preschool setting of their choice—from public schools to child care providers to Head Start—leading to lifelong educational benefits, allowing more parents to go back to work, and building a stronger foundation for Alabama’s future economic competitiveness.
Federal Grants;
Alabama was awarded a $1 million federal grant to assist with recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and for economic development planning, Rep. Terri Sewell announced on Thursday. The grant — part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan and targeted specifically towards economic development projects
https://www.alreporter.com/2021/10/22/sewell-announces-1-million-economic-development-grant/
(TNS) — Alabama has committed $537 million in federal funds for high-speed internet, the money allocated is one-fourth of the $2 billion Alabama received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a pandemic relief bill Congress passed two years ago. The federal government allows states to use the ARPA money for internet access, water and sewer projects, and other needs the pandemic did not cause. The Alabama Legislature allotted $277 million to broadband last year and another $260 million this month.
https://www.govtech.com/network/alabama-plans-for-537m-to-support-high-speed-internet
