San Diego City Wire

Washington, DC – On April 19, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50) introduced bipartisan legislation to address the child care needs of law enforcement officers and their families. The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act aims to address the nationwide police staffing shortages by making it easier for parents to enter the field. Rep. Peters is joined by Representatives David Valadao (CA-22), Josh Harder (CA-9), and Darrell Issa (CA-48) as co-leads on this legislation.

“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 Rep. Peters. “Research shows us that female officers develop deeper trust with communities, use less force, and are less frequently identified in complaints and lawsuits, but child care concerns remain one of the biggest hurdles, according to the 30x30 initiative. 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.”

San Diego is home to a first-of-its-kind local law enforcement child care facility which is set to open later this year.

“Accessible, affordable childcare is severely needed throughout the nation and this is particularly true for families in San Diego. I applaud Congressman Peters for the introduction of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act, which is going to help San Diego and cities across America help create more affordable childcare options while assisting in our efforts to recruit and retain public safety personnel,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria. “The City of San Diego has led on providing childcare for law enforcement through a unique partnership with the state and San Diego Police Officers Association, where a City facility is being remodeled to accommodate childcare for SDPD officers. This bill will help us grow our commitment to supporting our first responders and their families, and continue to build an inclusive workforce with competitive benefits.”  

“Police departments across the Valley have struggled to recruit and retain new officers, resulting in immense pressure on our existing police force and putting the safety of our communities at risk,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will make child care more accessible and affordable for our officers who typically work nonstandard schedules, removing a barrier to entry and retention for working parents.  I’m proud to support this bipartisan initiative to equip our officers with the tools they need to keep our communities safe.”

“This is a no brainer – keeping our families safe starts by recruiting and retaining top-tier police officers,” said Rep. Harder. “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 streets helping our communities.”

“We have a responsibility to provide our police officers with the tools, training, and equipment they need to safeguard our streets and protect our communities,” said Congressman Issa. “This bill represents a creative and innovative approach to not only advance law and order everywhere it is needed, but allowing these brave men and women on the front lines to be both parents and police,”

“As the co-founder of the 30x30 initiative to advance women in policing, I commend Congressman Scott Peters for introducing this crucial first step to reallocating funding for tangible solutions to advance diversity and improve public safety outcomes,” said 30x30 Initiative Co-Founder, Maureen McGough.

“PORAC is excited to partner with Congressman Peters on this new initiative, which will establish accessible and affordable child care for our officers. This funding will help address some of the day-to-day challenges that law enforcement agencies face and improve both recruitment and retention in our profession,” said Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) President Brian Marvel. “Being a peace officer and putting public safety first requires you to work shifts at all hours of the day and sometimes at a moment’s notice. Especially now during the recent rise in crime, it’s crucial we continue investing in long overdue resources to support our officers and their families. I’m especially proud to see this work already in action in my hometown – where the San Diego Police Officers Association has launched a first-in-the-nation childcare center designed to meet the needs of officers with extended hours and affordable rates.”

Background:

In recent years, law enforcement agencies have struggled to retain, hire, and train officers. At the same time, the nation has faced a shortage of child care providers, driving up costs and reducing options for working families. Police officers, in particular, are challenged by their nonstandard work schedules, with most child care centers operating under a 9 to 5 work day. Rep. Peters’ legislation would help ease this significant barrier to entry and retention for parents who wish to pursue careers in law enforcement and would help expand child care capacity in regions that are most in need.

The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will: 

− Authorize $24 million in funding for each of the next five fiscal years under the Child Care Development Grant Program and allow HHS to provide grants of up to $3 million for opening child care centers.

− Allow law enforcement agencies, local governments, and child care providers to determine each of their responsibilities while requiring local entities to contribute a scaled matching requirement over a three-year grant period.

− Set aside 20% of the total grant funding for police departments employing fewer than 200 officers.

− Require HHS to report to Congress the grant recipients, corresponding law enforcement agencies, and employee retention and recruitment data.

Full text of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act can be found here.

Original source can be found here.