Supporting Working Families

This morning, I was honored to receive my third consecutive “Best of Congress Award” from Working Mother Media and Corporate Voices for Working Families. Especially during these difficult times, we must do everything we can to help families struggling to make ends meet, whether it’s improving school-based health care or preventing a foreclosure.

Providing access to quality, affordable child care is one issue that I have really taken to heart.   I sponsor legislation to increase the tax credit for employers who provide child care facilities in the workplace.  My bill also increases the child care tax credit to encourage greater use of quality child care services and provides incentives for students to earn child care-related degrees to work in child care facilities.

But, as lawmakers, we can’t just support efforts to help families on the House or Senate floor. We also have to walk the walk. The vast majority of my staff is female, with four of four leadership roles filled by women. Five staffers are parents, three are pursuing degrees or advanced degrees and one is currently serving in the Coast Guard. So I know how challenging it can be to balance work and family.   My employees receive generous paid sick, annual and maternity/paternity leave benefits as well as flexible work-life options such as telecommuting. We also work hard to help the families who call our district home – through foreclosure prevention workshops, financial aid forums and job fairs – because without a job, you can’t support your country, community or your family.

I want to congratulate my 29 co-recipients of this great honor and thank them for their commitment to working families across the country.