Amada De Jesus Testimony

 My name is Amada De Jesus. I live at [Redacted] Street in [Redacted], Massachusetts.

I want to speak about an important issue for women and their children in Essex County cities and towns and communities across the state. That issue is affordable and safe child care.

I am a licensed family child care provider. Thousands of family child care providers like me provide early education and care to children in our homes. We are an important part of the child care equation because we have a smaller ration of staff to children, we extend ourselves to nontraditional hours when needed, we are accessible and more affordable for many working parents and we provide a diverse cultural option for care. Without us many children would not be adequately cared for when parents are working, especially single parents who rely on our services.

We have been waiting for the Family Child Care Providers bill to become law for 4 years. Every session it is filed and makes it through the committee process, it passes the Senate and then gets stuck either in the House or with a governor’s veto.

This year we have a chance to see it passed into law. The Senate has already passed it and if the House of Representatives will pass it before the end of this month, Governor Deval Patrick will sign it into law.

But, time is running short. We need the representatives in the House to act now to make it happen. If they don’t we will be back where we started for the 3rd time - at the beginning again.

This bill does not cost the Commonwealth any money. It is not about money. What this bill is about is giving thousands of family child care providers a voice and a place at the table when standards of care, safety and training are being set. That is important and that is fair.

Senate Bill 2286 helps Massachusetts’ families access affordable, safe, quality child care;

It will help recruit and retain a stable workforce of family child care providers that children and families can depend on;

And it will enhance the quality of family child care in Massachusetts by providing support and incentives for training and education;

But most importantly, it will give licensed family child care providers like me a voice in improving the early education and care system in Massachusetts.

We want to thank the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women for endorsing Senate Bill 2286 and ask you to help us get it passed before time runs out in 2008. Please contact the House of Representatives and ask them to move quickly to make this finally a law. Please don’t make us wait another year.

I have copies of a FACT Sheet on this bill available for you, too.

THANK YOU.