Congresswoman Nikema Williams Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Access to Child Care

Resources / Press Share on Congresswoman Nikema Williams Reintroduces Legislation to Increase Access to Child Care Sep 04, 2026 Press WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) reintroduced the Care is an Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Act . This legislation would require Economic Development Districts to show in their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies how they will increase access to care-based services, including child care. 3 in 4 families looking for childcare have difficulty finding a spot in a center-based program or a home-based program. Families need a strong care economy because access to care makes every aspect of our lives possible. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05) said : “As a mama, I know how critical early education and childcare are to the future of our children and the well-being of our families. We are in the midst of a childcare crisis. Too many working families in Georgia and across the country are struggling to find affordable, high-quality care for their children. As a Congresswoman, I know it doesn’t have to be this way. Families need a strong care economy because access to care makes every aspect of our lives possible. With the CEDS Act, families can count on their communities to plan for access to care for everyone — no matter their ZIP code, no matter their bank account.” The CEDS Act is endorsed by : Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS), First Five-Year Fund, Chamber of Mother, KinderCare Learning Companies, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), and National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN) Kristin Bernhard, CEO of GEEARS: Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students said: “A strong economy depends not only on creating jobs, but also on ensuring people can fill them. In Georgia alone, child care challenges cost our state an estimated $2.5 billion in lost economic activity each year. By incorporating care into regional economic development planning, the CEDS Act helps communities build a stronger workforce and a more resilient economy.” Patrick Murray, Vice President of Government Affairs at KinderCare Learning Companies said: “Child care is essential community infrastructure that enables children to learn and develop, parents to work, and local economies to thrive. As the nation’s leading child care provider, KinderCare applauds Representative Nikema Williams for introducing the Care is an Economic Development Strategy Act, which recognizes that expanding access to high-quality child care is a cornerstone of economic development. By encouraging communities to incorporate child care into their long-term planning, this legislation will create lasting benefits for children, families, employers, and local economies.” Erin Erenberg, CEO, Chamber of Mothers said: “Childcare is economic infrastructure, and the CEDS Act makes that clear. It requires regional decision-makers to do the obvious thing: account for the childcare that families need to go to work. That’s good planning; it’s good for families, and it’s good for the economy. We need lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to keep building this kind of practical, bipartisan groundwork because moms can’t keep waiting.” The CEDS Act is co-sponsored by Eleanor Homes Norton (D.C. At Large), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) Click here to read the text of the Care is an Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Act. Click here to read a one-pager on the Care is an Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Act. Share on