![Childcare worker](https://www.commondreams.org/media-library/childcare-worker.jpg?id=32135799&width=1200&height=400&quality=90&coordinates=0%2C284%2C0%2C817)
Childcare worker Debbie James-Dean sits with children at a Kids Are Us Learning Center in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2017.
(Photo: Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Congress Must Fund Childcare Initiatives Like the One That Helped Me Escape Poverty
Accessible childcare offers long-term benefits for children, families, and society, including improved educational outcomes, greater workforce participation, and reduced dependence on the social safety net.