Take Action for Women & Families
Take Action Today for Equal Pay and Affordable Child Care
The 2018 legislative session is almost over and two of WFCO’s priority bills are being heard in the Senate. We need you to contact your senator today to stand up for equal pay and access to affordable child care – two key barriers that hold women and their families back from being economically secure. You’ve already helped the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act pass the House Finance Committee and last week you called your senators to urge them to support House Bill 18-1004, which will continue the child care contribution tax credit. Please take action again today .
Equal Pay
How House Bill 18-1378 promotes equal pay
- Prevents pay disparities and ensures wage transparency with common sense measures such as disclosing proposed pay range in all job listings
- Closes loopholes in the Federal Equal Pay Act by ensuring Coloradans have the ability to challenge pay disparities and retaliation by employers while also allowing employers to defend against a challenge to a pay disparity by showing it is based on a bona fide factor unrelated to gender
How you can take action for equal pay
Now that House Bill 18-1378 has passed the House Finance Committee, the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act will be heard by Senate State Affairs. We need you to contact your senator today to tell them to support equal pay. Learn more about the bill and how to contact your senator.
Child Care
House Bill 18-1208 Expand Child Care Expenses Income Tax Credit background
- Colorado law currently provides an income tax credit for child care expenses to working families with earned income of $60,000 and less. Our state credit is calculated as a percentage of what taxpayers claim on their federal tax return.
- House Bill 18-1208 would result in an expansion of the Child Care Expenses Tax Credit to reach more middle-class families in affording to the child care they need while at the same time increasing the percentage of the federal credit currently-eligible taxpayers can claim.
How House Bill 18-1208 helps Colorado women achieve economic security
- Affordable access to high quality child care is essential for women with children to work, to support their families and contribute to the strength of our economy
- 64% of Colorado children under age 6 live in homes in which all available caregivers work
- Women are the breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly half of Colorado households with children
- The costs of child care can be more than half the median income for single mothers
- In Colorado, more than 22% of families with child care expenses are cost-burdened, meaning that they spend more than 10% of their income on child care
- Expanding the child care expenses income tax credit will help families afford quality care for their children and support parents’ workforce participation
How you can take action
- If you live in a Senate Finance member’s district (click here to find out who your senator is) or have a relationship with a Senate Finance member, please contact them ASAP to request support for House Bill 18-1208.
- If you know someone with a relationship that can influence a Senate Finance member, please contact them ASAP to explain why you support this tax credit to help more Colorado families afford child care and ask them to reach out to the Senate Finance member to request their support for House Bill 18-1208.
- Notify WFCO when you’ve reached out so we can follow up appropriately. Please email alisonp@wfco.org and include your name and address, name of the person you contacted, date and method of contact, and feedback from the conversation/email exchange.
Guidance for outreach to your legislator
When you contact your legislator (use this link to find out who your senator is) remember the following:
- Tell them you are a constituent; legislators pay attention to those who put – and keep – them in office.
- Communicate aspects important to you in your own words; legislators prefer not to receive standardized emails and/or calls.
- Including something specific to your district is helpful (a personal story, something you saw/heard, why this matter is especially important to you, etc.).
For a phone call:
- Introduce yourself as a constituent and include your affiliation with The Women’s Foundation of Colorado, as well as your professional affiliation or role in the community.
- Expanding the child care expenses income tax credit is important to us because it helps Coloradans afford child care so they can work to support themselves and their families
- Please vote yes when Senate Finance considers HB18-1208 this week.
For an email: Remember to personalize the example message below – unique messages get more attention than several copies of a form email.
Dear Senator [Enter last name],
My name is [ENTER NAME] and I am a supporter of The Women’s Foundation of Colorado as well as a [INSERT PROFESSIONAL TITLE (optional). IE: business owner, educator etc]. I am writing you today to strongly encourage your support for the expansion of the child care expenses income tax credit, which helps more Colorado families afford child care so they can continue working.
Affordable access to high quality child care is essential for women with children to work, to support their families and contribute to the strength of our economy. Expanding the child care expenses income tax credit will help families afford quality care for their children and support parents’ workforce participation.
As one of your constituents, I ask you to please vote in support of HB18-1208 when Senate Finance considers this bill this week.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
