WASHINGTON -- Presidential candidate and Oakland native Sen. Kamala Harris is proposing a bill to extend school hours until 6 p.m.
The Family Friendly School Act seeks to better align school hours with parents' work hours.
Kamala argues that school days end hours before 70% of parents end their work day.
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In Sen. Harris' press release, she shared, "My mother raised my sister and me while working demanding, long hours, so, I know firsthand that, for many working parents, juggling between school schedules and work schedules is a common cause of stress and financial hardship. But, this does not have to be the case. My bill provides an innovative solution that will help reduce the burden of child care on working families. It is time we modernize the school schedule to better meet the needs of our students and their families."
If the bill is approved, it will not impact every school.
In the proposal for a pilot program, 500 schools serving mainly low-income families would get up to $5 million over five years to keep their doors open until 6 p.m.
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The grant is to be used for extracurricular programs and allow access for more youth to attend summer programming.