Ivanka Trump, senior advisor and second daughter of President Donald Trump, will be visiting Kansas City on October 10th, according to KMBC 9 News. Her mission is to improve access to high-quality child care for working families.
She will be accompanied by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar; Sen. Roy Blunt; Gov. Mike Parson; and Assistant ACF Secretary Lynn Johnson. Ivanka Trump’s entourage is expected to arrive at Metropolitan Community College at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The visit will mark the 7th roundtable meeting from a total of 10 meetings across the U.S that the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has been holding.
One of the goals is to discuss improving access to child care for working families.
“One of the single greatest barriers to economic mobility facing American families today: access to affordable, high-quality child care.” Assistant Secretary of ACF Lynn Johnson writes on HHS website Blog.
“Presently, the cost of center-based child care for two children, an infant, and a 4-year-old exceeds home mortgage costs in 35 states and D.C. and annual median rental payments in every state,” Johnson writes.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act was introduced in 2013 to facilitate the needs of working families. It was not until after the Trump Administration in 2017 increased funding to a significant amount. Funding has increased by forty percent for the first time in the program’s history.
The HHS and the Trump administration also expanded the Child Tax Credit to fund child care, and the Child and Dependent Care Adoption Credits. President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law in 2017, doubling the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child.
Despite the progress, child care assistance still needs to adapt to the changing economy. Accordingly, Ivanka Trump and ACF set out on a roundtable listening tour across the country to hear directly from locals, including parents, employers, teachers, providers, state and local officials, and charities.
“So far, we’ve had tremendous feedback from stakeholders, and we’re continuing to learn more at each roundtable,” Johnson notes on the blog.
“The information and feedback we collect during these roundtables will be used to inform federal policy proposals; research; technical assistance, and legislation, to help us expand access to affordable, quality child care.”
Ivanka Trump began serving in her father’s presidential administration as a senior adviser starting in 2017, after leaving the Trump Organization.
