In June, the Women Mayors Network hosted a briefing with White House leaders on gender and domestic policies. Recognizing the key role mayors play in advancing policy priorities locally, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs reached out to explore working toward common goals, and to learn more about the experiences of women mayors in our network.
Julie Rodriguez, of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, welcomed the group. Carmel Martin, Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council for Economic Mobility, and Jen Klein, Co-Chair of the Gender Policy Council then shared priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration in working with cities and mayors. Former Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, co-founder of the Women Mayors Network, facilitated an open discussion with mayors and White House leaders.
Support for Caregivers: The Child Tax Credit & More
The White House team highlighted recent efforts to roll out the Child Tax Credit through local partnerships, focusing especially on non-filers, and shared progress on advancing infrastructure plans.
Several mayors discussed the challenges of supporting the supply of quality, accessible child care, in addition to making sure families can afford care. Mayors asked about the sustainability of new initiatives and long-term plans for meeting ongoing needs. Conversations also covered highlighting the continuum of care (child care, home care, etc.) as critical infrastructure.
As mayors develop priorities for using newly-available American Rescue Plan funds, they are balancing a never-ending list of needs across their communities, including:
- child care;
- student debt;
- eviction prevention;
- home care, and more.
Following the conversation, the White House team shared resources for mayors to ensure their communities know about and take advantage of the Child Tax Credit, an incredible support for families. Access that information here.
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