Education and Childcare
Every Child Deserves a Strong Start
Jenn’s mom was the 12th of 14 children and the first member of her family to go beyond the 8th grade and graduate college. She went on to become an early childhood educator and college counselor. Jenn’s dad was a third-generation educator. Jenn’s parents taught her that a good education is the key to economic opportunity, thriving communities, and a healthy democracy. Jenn has carried those values with her throughout her life and career in public service, from the General Assembly to the halls of Congress. Now as a mother to school-age children, she has made expanding access to early learning and supporting students at every stage of their education a defining priority of her work in Congress.
Expanding Access to Affordable Childcare The childcare crisis is an economic crisis. Jenn co-introduced the Child Care Infrastructure Act and the Child Care Workforce Development Act alongside Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. These two bills would build new early learning facilities, increase the supply of qualified childcare providers, and directly lower costs for families. The Workforce Development Act would fund student loan repayment of up to $6,000 annually for early childhood educators, incentivizing more people to enter and stay in this critical field. Jenn has also championed legislation to expand access to short-term childcare for mothers and their families during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
Defending Public Education When the Trump Administration signed an executive order effectively dismantling the Department of Education, Jenn pushed back immediately. She has fought Republican efforts to cut Head Start and Title I funding that Virginia schools depend on, and she will continue to oppose any effort to defund the public education system that millions of Virginian children rely on.
Supporting Students from Preschool Through College Jenn voted for the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which expanded the Child Tax Credit to give families more financial breathing room. She introduced the ACCESS Act to improve the affordability of college students’ transportation, and the GRAD Act to support graduate-level STEM programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), like Virginia State University and Virginia Union University in her district, and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) by expanding their access to federal funding.
Investing in Education in Virginia’s Fourth Jenn puts her appropriations work to use for students in the district. She secured funding for Southside Virginia Community College’s technical training programs and the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, investments that connect Virginia students to in-demand careers. She also secured millions for Virginia Commonwealth University and Virginia State University to enhance AI research infrastructure, cybersecurity curriculum, and more.