For Immediate Release

HONOLULU, April 28, 2021 — Today, President Biden released the “American Families Plan,” which includes an ambitious vision to create a national paid family leave program, dramatically expand access to child care and preschool, and extend tax credits for families. This follows his “American Jobs Plan” from March, which would modernize child care facilities and invest in the caregiving workforce.

Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, the state’s only nonprofit solely dedicated to advocating for Hawaiʻi’s keiki, released this statement from Executive Director Deborah Zysman:

“We couldn’t be more excited about President Biden’s ‘American Families Plan.’ We’ve long advocated for policies like paid family leave, universal preschool, and affordable, high-quality child care. This plan would finally make those family-friendly policies a reality in Hawaiʻi and across the country. It’s what our keiki have been waiting for.

“Combined with the ‘American Jobs Plan,’ President Biden is proposing a long overdue and desperately needed federal investment in our keiki, communities, and economic future. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and it couldn’t come at a more critical time. The pandemic has underscored how important our caregiving infrastructure is to our economic recovery. With President Biden’s proposal, we can recover resiliently and give all our keiki the future they truly deserve.

“The Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University estimates that the ‘American Families Plan’ will reduce the child poverty rate by nearly half (47.4%). We look forward to working with our Congressional delegation and advocates across the state and country to make this a reality.”

Contact: Ryan Catalani
[email protected]
(808) 531-5502 ext. 4

HCAN Executive Director Deborah Zysman is available for press interviews.

About Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network (HCAN): HCAN is a nonprofit creating a unified voice for Hawaiʻi’s children. Its grassroots movement strives to ensure that all keiki are safe, healthy, and ready to learn. For more information, visithttp://www.hawaii-can.org.