In Buffalo, Sen. Gillibrand talks child care funding bill to support police | First World War

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Buffalo Friday to announce a plan to secure federal funding for child care.

Gillibrand’s talk took place at the Buffalo Police Department headquarters on Court Street, where she announced the law to provide child care for police officers. She said the law would provide $24 million for each of the next five fiscal years for child care services in support of law enforcement.

If signed into law, the legislation would provide grants of up to $3 million to various law enforcement agencies to establish child care programs.

20 percent of the total grant amount would be reserved for departments with fewer than 200 officers.

“Police officers often work extended hours on a non-traditional schedule,” Gillibrand’s office said. “Recent surveys show that nearly 20% of police officers are looking to leave the profession, and in one large metropolitan police department, more than half of officers reported having to leave or take time off work due to employee issues. childcare.

During Gillibrand’s talk, she talked about how this disproportionately impacts women. In 2021, only 12% of police officers in the United States were women, according to an initiative called 30×30.

“Providing child care is a powerful tool for attracting and retaining new talent, and it is a critical way to promote public safety while maintaining a stable law enforcement workforce,” Gillibrand said .

Watch the full talk in the video above.