Supporting Our Families with Affordable Childcare

Supporting Our Families with Affordable Childcare
Today in California, it can cost a family 20 percent of their annual income to send just one child to a child care center. And for low-income families and single parents, the burden is especially heavy. If we want to unleash the true power and potential of women in the workplace, we must do better. We must guarantee an economy and society that fulfills the motto: "families earning, children learning." There can be no higher priority for a working mother than the success and security of her family. Numerous studies have shown time and again that the earlier children begin to learn, the better they'll do later in life.

Last week, I was able to visit the South of Market Child Care Center and witness firsthand the valuable services that reinforce why child care is the essential link to the stability of families, the pursuit of opportunities, and the overall success of working mothers.

Unfortunately, the deep, across-the-board budget cuts that my Republican colleagues insist on pushing are slashing away at child care centers and the security, support, and peace of mind they provide for families. That is not the way to create a future working parents want for their children. And that is why in his State of the Union Address, the President laid out a plan for a new federal-state partnership that will provide high-quality preschool for every child.

In that fight to move forward, American women have made it a tradition to set standards, break records, and achieve what so many said we never could. By working together to provide the support their families deserve, we are ensuring that women here and across the country can continue to write our history and shape a future that lives up to the core, American values we share.

Congresswoman Pelosi stops by the South of Market Child Care Center in San Francisco to support hard-working child care providers and children who are benefiting from an early education.

Tax Tips for 2013
As the tax deadline of April 15th draws near, my office would like to pass along a few online tax resources that may help you with your filing process. The IRS website has a host of online tools to help you submit your tax information, track your refund, and more.

• Updated Tax Tips 2013 page on the IRS website.
• Track your refund. Where's My Refund? is an online tool that allows taxpayers to track their refunds.
• Use the IRS' Office Locator to find the tax-help center nearest you.
• Understand the Earned Income Tax Credit. Earned income is the taxable wages and income you receive from working or owning your own business. To see if your earnings fall into this category, click here. To see if you qualify, use the IRS' Earned Income Tax Credit Assistant. To claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, you need to fill out Form 8862.
• Know how unemployment benefits are taxed. Unemployment compensation received from the government is taxable as income. If you have received unemployment compensation during the year, you will be given a Form 1099-G indicating the amount you were paid. This amount must be included in your income. If you have received unemployment benefits, you may decide to have federal income tax withheld by filling out a Form W-4V.

Go Giants!
Today, we welcome the start of the 2013 baseball season in San Francisco. Like so many San Franciscans, I am proud of the World Champion Giants and all that they have accomplished, including bringing the 2012 World Series trophy to San Francisco. I look forward to another season played the Giants way: hard work, teamwork and lots of home runs into the Bay!

Please feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my website. I am also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NancyPelosi.