The White House on Thursday announced that it is releasing $39 billion in funding for states to address the “child care crisis” with the money to come from the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill President Joe Biden signed into law last month.

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The Biden administration said the $39 billion is aimed at addressing the “acute, immediate child care crisis” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and will help early childhood educators and family child care providers keep their doors open.

Split into two parts, the initiative will see $24 billion will go to providers as part of a stabilization fund to help “child care providers to reopen or stay open, provide safe and healthy learning environments, keep workers on payroll, and provide mental health supports for educators and children.”

The other part will provide $15 billion in more flexible funding “for states to make child care more affordable for more families, increase access to high-quality care for families receiving subsidies.” . . .

Last year, $15 billion in child care relief was provided as part of COVID-19 relief packages under the Trump administration. . . .

The White House said the funds are “a critical step to pave the way for a strong economic recovery and a more equitable future.” . . .

The Biden administration said that it expects the funding will benefit hundreds of thousands of child care providers and early childhood educators. . . .

It will also include an expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. As part of the stimulus, the credit was increased to $3,000 per child from ages six to 17, and $3,600 for children under six. It was made fully refundable, and payable in monthly installments of $300. Before this, the maximum annual credit was $2,000 for every child under 17.

Some experts have called the funding a move toward universal basic income.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that Biden wants to make the Child Tax Credit permanent, beyond the pandemic. . . .

The White House said that more guidance on the funds will be released in the coming weeks. . . .

Share your prayers about this stimulus package and the effects it will bring to our economy in the comments below!

(Excerpt from The Epoch Times. Article by ISABEL VAN BRUGEN. Photo Credit: Getty Images.)