Press Releases

Last week, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus announced its endorsement of H.R.2722, the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act of 2023.

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50) and has 18 cosponsors, equally Republican and Democratic, thirteen of whom are Members of the Problem Solvers Caucus.

The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act of 2023 seeks to combat the recent rise in law enforcement resignations and retirements by addressing the need for reliable child care. Law enforcement officers often work nontraditional hours, and accessible child care is a critical need for officers and their families. 

The proposed grant pilot program outlined in the legislation would operate under the Child Care Development Block Grant Program to fund the establishment of local law enforcement child care facilities throughout the country. Expanded child care options will aid the recruitment and retention of exceptional officer candidates at a time when law enforcement agencies have fewer employees than they did five years ago. 

“With crime on the rise and the costs of basic necessities skyrocketing, our law enforcement heroes shouldn’t have to worry about the wellbeing of their children while they put their lives on the line for us and our families. I’m proud to support the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act and am glad that this legislation has met the threshold for endorsement by the Problem Solvers Caucus. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this important legislation passed and I will always back the blue,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17).

“Access to quality, reliable child care is essential to recruitment and retention of the best, most representative, and diverse police force we can have, particularly as we seek to attract more women to the ranks,” said Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50). “I am thrilled that the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus has overwhelmingly endorsed our commonsense legislation to bolster childcare availability for police officers who work non-standard hours. San Diego is leading the way to expand child care opportunities for police officers and I am proud to support those efforts at the federal level.”

“Police Departments across the Central Valley are struggling to recruit and retain new police officers, further stressing our existing officers and putting the safety of our communities at risk,” said Congressman David Valadao (CA-22). “The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will expand childcare access for officers, who often work nonstandard hours, and reduce barriers to entry to ensure we can recruit the best talent into our law enforcement agencies. I’m proud to be an original co-sponsor of this bill, and look forward to working with my Problem Solvers colleagues to move this common-sense legislation forward.”   

“As a parent, I know just how stressful childcare can be when it’s not available. Every day, our law enforcement officers wake up, put on a bulletproof vest, and kiss their families goodbye. The least we can do is ensure they have access to affordable and reliable childcare. They have our backs every day, it’s time we get theirs,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. “That’s why I’m incredibly proud that the members of the Problem Solvers Caucus have endorsed the bipartisan Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act.”

“Child care options and flexibility are critical for parents across the workforce, including our brave police officers,” said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.“The bipartisan Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will create grants for child care facilities for children of law enforcement officers to boost the declining law enforcement retention rate and ensure that these community heroes have more accessibility to child care.”

“I’m proud to support the bipartisan Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. Our brave men and women in blue put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and they deserve to have reliable access to affordable child care. I’ll continue working on policies that support current law enforcement officers and encourage more people to join the field,” Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) said.

“The bipartisan Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act builds on the work I’ve done over the past several years to help with law enforcement recruitment and retention in Minnesota and nationwide. These steps to expand child care access for police officers will help build a stronger and more diverse workforce and, by extension, make our communities safer. I’m proud to support this common sense, bipartisan bill and urge House leadership to bring it to a vote,” said Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02).

“Accessible childcare is crucial to recruiting qualified police officers to keep our communities safe,” said Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28). “This bill will make childcare more affordable for our police officers who protect us every day. I stand with the men and women in blue and will continue fighting for them and their families.”

“Our men and women in blue have a hard enough time making it through the day, and it is essential they have the means to support their families,” said Congressman Don Davis (NC-01). “We must ensure our law enforcement officers have adequate access to child care so they don’t have to worry about their children and fully focus on the bad guys.”

“It’s simple – keeping our families safe starts by recruiting and retaining top-tier police officers. That’s why I’m so proud of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act,” said Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09). “Making sure our officers have access to quality, affordable child care means we increase the pool of talented, diverse recruits and keeps officers on the job protecting our communities. This bipartisan bill is a no-brainer – with the backing of the Problem Solvers Caucus, let’s get it over the finish line.”

“Our police are often working long shifts at unusual hours which could make their home lives extremely difficult, especially if they are a single parent,” Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) said. “The least we can do to give our officers peace of mind while they’re on the clock is ensuring their children are being well-taken care of. When they know their children are safe, they can better focus on protecting our communities.”

“I am proud to cosponsor the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Actand have the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus endorse the bill. You shouldn’t have to choose between being a parent and being a police officer. This bill is going to make childcare more affordable and accessible to the law enforcement community. With this effort, we aim to improve recruitment and retention rates for police departments and better outcomes for children in police families,” said Congressman Marc Molinaro (NY-19).

“The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act is an important bipartisan effort that’ll help bolster law enforcement while expanding access to child care, and I’m pleased to see it has hit the threshold for endorsement by the Problem Solvers Caucus membership,” said Congressman Wiley Nickel (NC-13). “In Congress, I’ll continue to work in a bipartisan way to deliver common sense, family-friendly policies like this that’ll also support law enforcement and keep our communities safe.”

“I am proud to stand beside my community-focused colleagues in the Problem Solvers Caucus as we endorse the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act. This bipartisan legislation is a crucial step towards supporting our brave men and women in law enforcement, ensuring that they have access to quality childcare while they protect and serve our communities. By providing this much-needed support, we are not only investing in the well-being of our police officers and their families but also strengthening the overall safety and security of our neighborhoods. Alaska often struggles to attract and retain officers and their families, particularly in rural communities, and this bill helps address this by setting aside funding for smaller police forces. I’m grateful to my colleagues for taking up this issue and finding a bipartisan way to help our police officers,” said Congresswoman Mary Peltola (AK-AL).

“As police departments in Michigan and across the country work to keep our communities safe, it’s important that we do what we can to support their officers and their families,” said Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-07). “This legislation will provide federal funding to police departments, local governments, and child care providers to open new child care centers, which will make careers in law enforcement a real option for new parents. As we face crises of affordable, accessible childcare and police staffing shortages, this legislation will address both head-on.”

The bill is supported by the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO).

The full text of the bill can be found here.

The Problem Solvers Caucus, which is Co-Chaired by Congressmen Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), has sixty-four Members evenly split between Republicans and Democrats.