Kara Alaimo, an assistant professor of public relations at Hofstra University, is the author of "Pitch, Tweet, or Engage on the Street: How to Practice Global Public Relations and Strategic Communication." She was spokeswoman for international affairs in the Treasury Department during the Obama administration. Follow her on Twitter @karaalaimo. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author; view more opinion at CNN.

(CNN) The partial government shutdown has hurt Americans in countless ways over the past 35 days. But as it stretches on, it stands to threaten the health and welfare of poor moms and children who could be left without food, housing, and childcare if the government doesn't act soon. Even if members of Congress and the President can't agree on a deal to end the shutdown today, there are three things they can -- and must -- do right now to protect these parents and their kids.

Ensure that parents can afford childcare

Although some federal employees aren't going to work now, they may need to continue paying for childcare to make sure they will still have caregivers or spots at daycare once they go back to work.

Kara Alaimo

According to the Office of Personnel Management , while laws vary by state, federal employees who have been furloughed -- meaning they have been told not to work and aren't being paid -- can generally apply for unemployment benefits, which could help offset childcare costs. However, the Department of Labor has reportedly instructed multiple states not to allow "essential workers," who are continuing to work without pay during the shutdown, to collect unemployment benefits. That's downright dangerous for many families.

These essential federal workers include TSA screeners, whose salaries start around just $34,000 per year . Many are now faced with paying for childcare so they can go to work, yet they can't collect a paycheck. Parents who don't have savings -- which would be understandable on their modest incomes -- might be forced to leave their children alone or in very unsafe circumstances. Congress needs to act now to allow them to collect unemployment benefits along with their furloughed colleagues so that they have cash on hand to pay for essential expenses like childcare.