U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York says she wants free child care services expanded for parents attending community colleges.

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The Democrat has introduced legislation to expand high-quality child care services at no cost to student-parents. 

The $9 billion grant proposal comes after a report found 200,000 undergraduates in New York are parents and more than half of those single-mothers.

The Prepare and Resourcing Our Student Parents and Early Childhood Teachers Act (PROSPECT Act) funds three new competitive grant programs over five years.

Those grants would expand the eligibility requirements for Child Care and Development Block Grants for low-income parents, provide funding and technical support for infant and toddler care at programs near community colleges, help community colleges provide free care to up to 500,000 children under the age of three for parents attending classes at the schools and increase the federal match rate to 90%.

 

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