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Author: Jennifer R Farmer

Recent Victories Show Momentum for Free Child Care Growing

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For Immediate Release

PHILADELPHIA – Support for fully funded, universal child care continues to grow. Through years of grassroots organizing, parents, child care providers and advocates, are finally being heard. In November, New Mexico became the first state to offer universal child care thanks to the work of OLE NM. In New York, citizens elected a child care champion in Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani. In Ohio, advocates with The CEO Project are working with legislators to ensure child care providers have what they need to serve children and families. The advocates issued the following statement:

“Every child deserves access to high-quality child care and pre-K—and this must be a top priority for Pennsylvania,” said Tyrone Scott, Director of Government and External Affairs, First Up. “Recent victories across the country show what’s possible when communities organize. At First Up, we are committed to ensuring that every child in Pennsylvania gets the strong start they need to thrive, child care is affordable to families, and early educators are paid a living wage.”

“From Ohio to New York to New Mexico, voters are demanding child care that works for every family,” said Tamara Lunan, Organizing Director of the CEO Project. “Ohio families deserve the same—affordable, high-quality care and fair pay for the people who provide it. We’re ready for leaders who treat child care as the essential infrastructure it is.”

“Child care shows us what solidarity looks like in practice – people showing up for one another and building the conditions for liberation from the ground up. To make it truly universal is to claim it as a public good that belongs to all of us. This victory has sparked hope far beyond New York, and we intend to see that momentum grow until equity and justice are the standard everywhere,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, our Co-Executive Directors of Alliance for Quality Education New York (AQE New York). 

These wins provide much-needed fuel for parents and child care educators in other states.  For more information or to book an interview, email press@spotlightpr.org.

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Revolve Fund Invests $400,000 in Detroit-Specific Grantmaking; Its Founder is Eager to Do More

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For Immediate Release

DETROIT – Revolve Fund announced it is ramping up its commitment to Detroit entrepreneurs. With recoverable grants, traditional grants, and other supports, Revolve increases capital access for small businesses owned by, or tax-exempt organizations led by, historically marginalized entrepreneurs.

“To date, Revolve Fund has deployed or committed over $1.2MM in funding nationally with over $400,000 deployed or set aside for Detroit-specific grantmaking,” said James Wahls, founder and managing director of the Revolve Fund. “Revolve’s first-mover funding has already helped with developing $15 million in additional capital access in Detroit. Catalytic capital like ours can make the difference between scaling and stagnation.”

Revolve has flexibility to support or invest at times during an entrepreneur’s journey where many loan or equity investment funding options cannot. Through its approach, Revolve can assist entrepreneurs or investors to test or scale revenue models without increasing debt or taking equity. “James deserves recognition for taking this concept of recoverable grants and growing it in different markets and understanding fundamentally that there was promise and opportunities in this space. He’s been building the ecosystem and leveraging his connections and relationships to support small businesses,” said Sharnita Johnson, Revolve Fund Board Member and Vice President of Impact, Strategy and Communications at the Victoria Foundation.

Wahls has worked for years supporting entrepreneurs and investors nationally through impact investing roles at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Mission Investors Exchange, and Revolve. But for Wahls, born and raised in Detroit, Revolve’s increased commitment to Detroit is personal. Earlier in his career while at Kellogg, Wahls led the development of the Detroit Entrepreneurs of Color Fund concept and the foundation’s seed investment to Detroit Development Fund that has resulted in millions in capital access for Detroit entrepreneurs.  Prior to his stint at Kellogg, he co-launched a Detroit-focused early career placement website that helped hundreds of area students and new graduates find meaningful employment.

Revolve’s recoverable grantee partners in Detroit include Invest Detroit Ventures to finance inclusive micro-venture investments, Black Leaders Detroit to support its expanding lending capacity for Detroit businesses, and The Mushroom Angel, an emerging vegan food manufacturer based out of Eastern Market.

“It’s important that there are groups such as the Revolve Fund that are willing to take the earliest and highest risks,” said Patti Glaza, executive vice president of Invest Detroit Ventures. “We need investors to understand that there are returns more valuable than just dollars. Investing in people and building a tech culture require groups like Revolve Fund.”

When Invest Detroit Ventures launched its Funding Access and Mentorship program, Revolve was the project’s first outside funding partner. “It was an important validation for the program to have an outside funding partner,” Glaza noted. “We were using return dollars to fund this because we knew it was risky capital. We were working with founders before they had a stable revenue stream. The partnership from Revolve was additive because it allowed us to make both investments and complimentary grants to our founders.”

Revolve also offers smaller traditional grants to local stalwart organizations to support efforts related to Revolve’s mission, help inform Revolve’s regional activities, and assist with building Revolve’s recoverable grant applicant pool. Grantee partners include Black Tech Saturdays, one of the fastest growing tech movements in the nation, College Career & Beyond, a regional leading nonprofit supporting young adult/early adult career programming, and the Detroit Regional LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. Kevin Heard, president of the Chamber, noted in his recent social media post that “Revolve’s community grant to the Chamber is going to fund 100 hours of 1:1 business support to small businesses” in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.

Funded by institutional grants and donors, Revolve seeks greater partnership with Detroit philanthropy and local donors committed to increasing capital access that goes beyond available loans and equity investments options in the city. Current and past funders include W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Surdna Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Max M. & Marjorie Fisher Foundation, and PNC Bank.

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Amid a Profound Backsliding on Racial Equity; Advocates for Racial Justice Must Never Relent

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For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON – Race Forward today celebrated Juneteenth by urging advocates for racial justice to continue organizing for a nation where all belong and all can thrive. Citing that such work strengthens democracy, the national racial equity organization released the following statement, which can be attributed to its president Glenn Harris:

“It is not lost on us that this Juneteenth, the nation is experiencing a profound backsliding on racial equity. We are witnessing an acceleration of regressionists efforts to rollback multi-racial progress. These anti-democratic efforts will not only harm Black and Brown people, they will erode the very fabric of the nation.

“However distressing the current political climate may be, we should be clear that those who favor freedom and justice have never relented. Whether we know their names or benefit from their work, in every community, there are people who are pushing back on white supremacy, and policies that harm Black and Brown communities.

“For instance, this week a coalition of federal legislators and advocates rallied for the reintroduction of key reparations measures. Rep. Summer Lee reintroduced the Reparations Now resolution, which was first introduced in 2023 by former Rep. Cori Bush . The resolution urges the federal government to allocate trillions of dollars in reparations to Black Americans to compensate for chattel slavery, and federally-sanctioned policies that harmed, and continues to harm, Black Americans.

“Earlier this month, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, which was originally championed by the late Rep John Conyers. The measure would create a federal commission to examine the lasting impact of slavery, systemic racism and racial discrimination. It would also explore recompense such reparations.

“Our collective goal as a movement and a people should be to reclaim what has been lost or damaged; and remain resilient in the face of current attacks. We should also create the conditions for a resurgence of movements, policies and practices that ensure equal opportunity, and the strengthening of democracy.”

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Parents and Providers Gear Up for National Day Without Child Care

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As the United States faces a worsening child care crisis, parents, child care educators, and advocates today announced coast-to-coast events coinciding with the national Day Without Child Care (DWOCC). The DWOCC will be held May 12, and is designed to build support for fully funded, quality, early childhood education and care. Several parents and child care advocates from Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Maine, Michigan and Minnesota, released the following statement:

“Quality child care isn’t just about economic survival, it’s about educational and developmental justice from birth,” said Alliance for Quality Education New York Co-Directors Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari. “We cannot resolve this crisis without ending poverty wages for the child care workforce. And we must make sure that all families have access to a program. In New York, our years-long fight for a permanent workforce fund goes on, and on this Day Without Child Care, we’re demanding once again that our leaders put our children, their families, and their caregivers first. The time for half-measures ended long ago. We’re demanding bold investment now.”

“Parents and providers are coming together to raise the alarm bells on the child care crisis,” said Angela Clair, director, Wilder Child Development Center in St. Paul. “Communities and families depend on childcare; and without childcare, Minnesota cannot operate. Our workforce will be devastated. Until lawmakers fully fund childcare, centers across the state will struggle to stay open. Until lawmakers fully fund childcare, parents across the state will break under the costs. Until lawmakers fully fund childcare, we are letting Minnesota children down.”

The Day Without Child Care comes on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the federal head start program. It also falls at a time when there has been upheaval in the program: Head Start staff have been cut at the federal level and in 5 regional offices. There is concern that some states may not receive current year Head Start funds because there are fewer staff to manage the program. More than 790,000 children under 5 depend on Head Start according to the Center for American Progress report.

“I’m a parent, former early childhood educator and domestic abuse survivor,” said Hazel Willow in Maine. “I learned the importance of high quality, early childhood education firsthand. I saw how access improves outcomes for DV survivors and their children. In my training as an early childhood educator I learned that a secure attachment to a consistent caregiver can remediate the negative outcomes of a child’s early traumatic experiences, and my own child’s social emotional success today is a testament to the positive impact of early childhood education. All children and their families deserve to have this same access and outcome.”

“Care is the work that makes all other work possible,” said Family Forward Oregon Executive Director, Candice Vickers. “As the future of child care for tens of thousands of families and their providers hangs in the lurch, we join together to ensure that our care infrastructure is strengthened.”

Family Forward will host a Care Can’t Wait Festival as part of Oregon’s Day Without Child Care events. It will be held on May 12 at 6:00 p.m. at Capitol Park, 155 Waverly St NE. in Salem. The event will include personal stories from parents and child care organizers, face painting and family friendly activities.

“I would never have been able to sustain employment successfully without having accessed childcare for my children,” said Charlotte Jacobs, a parent of two and also program director, Seedlings to Sunflowers in Gorham, ME. “Additionally, I secured employment in childcare, to be able to pay for the care my children would need, because it is so expensive there was no other way. 14 years later, I wouldn’t change it for the world– this job has brought me tons of joy and laughter. I see each day the critical importance that childcare providers make in a family’s life, and I see the extreme struggles this brings parents in terms of affordability, accessibility and quality. 

“Child care providers are the quiet force holding up our families and our communities,” said Jasmine Bowles, executive director, 9to5 Georgia. “They show up every single day, often without the pay, benefits, or recognition they deserve, because they know families are counting on them. Many can’t take part in a Day Without Child Care Providers, because stepping away, even for a day, simply isn’t an option. That’s why one of the most powerful ways to honor their dedication is to take action. Invest in an equitable and sustainable child care system that works for all families and providers”

“Taking a day to honor the child care sector and the care economy is imperative,” said LaDon Love, executive director, SPACEs in Action. “Our providers deserve increased pay and benefits, and our children deserve quality care and education.”

SPACEs in Action will take parents, child care providers and children to meet with D.C. Council members on May 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It will then host a rally and banner drop at the U.S. Capitol on May 14.

“The Day Without Child Care is a capstone event, marking years of organizing in support of greater investments in child care,” Lenice C. Emanuel, executive director, Alabama Institute for Social Justice. “Advocates will meet with legislators and highlight the need for funding that enables child care to be accessible, affordable, and available to all families. While the specific needs may vary from state to state – some states need more child care slots, other states need an expedited process to recruit and vet child care providers – there is broad agreement that the nation’s system of funding child care needs a revamp.”

“In the spirit of the labor movement, which hosted the Walk A Day in My Shoes, child care professionals, advocates and parents will participate in the Day Without Child Care. “This day is all about raising awareness about the fundamental need for quality, accessible child care,” said Danielle Atkinson, executive director, Mothering Justice.

“Parent Voices California will host a ‘Stand for Children’ event on May 14 that will see 350 parents and providers assembled at the state capitol,” said Mary Ignatius, executive director, Parent Voices California. “Parent leaders have designed a program declaring ‘Superheroes protect kids not Billionaires.’ In fact, if corporations and wealthy individuals paid the taxes they actually owed, we could have child care every day for every child across America.  This is a day about the civil and economic rights children have to early learning, their parents have to be able to work and pursue higher education, and for early educators to earn a living commiserate with their profound and lasting impact on their communities.”

On May 12 and 13, The CEO Project will bring 1,000 early childhood educators and their families to the Ohio Statehouse to urge legislators to invest in child care. If you are a member of the press in Ohio and intend to participate, you may register here.

 

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Pope Francis Was a Friend to the Poor and the Marginalized

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For Immediate Release

NEW YORK – United Women in Faith today mourned the passing of Pope Francis. It released the following statement which can be attributed to its General Secretary and CEO Sally Vonner:

“Pope Francis was singularly unique. He was a friend of the poor, the dispossessed, and the marginalized. He championed care for creation, urging attention to the climate crisis. His papacy was characterized by attempts to right many wrongs in the Catholic Church and in the world.

“Pope Francis’ leadership required courage as he often went against the grain. For instance, the Pope was said to have sought to elevate the role of women within the Vatican. Earlier this year he named Sister Simona Brambilla to head a Vatican Office; she was the first woman to hold this position. He also called for more grace for persons who were divorced or members of the LGBTQIA community. He will be remembered as a steadfast example of Christ’s love. United Women in Faith mourns his passing and is holding the Catholic Church in our hearts during this season of transition.”

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Faces in the Movement: A Discussion with Ashley Panelli and Mica Whitfield

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Ashley Panelli

In this edition of Faces in the Movement, a virtual series to highlight people impacting change, we caught up with Ashley Panelli and Mica Whitfield to learn about their work and advocacy with 9to5–a grassroots power-building organization fighting for economic justice for women and nonbinary people of color.. Our discussion has been edited for clarity. We have also used initials to describe individual answers.

What do you want women to know about 9to5?

MW: Our organization is an expression of a national movement for women and nonbinary people of color. We take an intersectional, multi-issue approach– advocating alongside Black and Brown women and nonbinary people on a host of issues ranging from housing, child care accessibility and affordability, gender justice, and workers’ rights. While many people connect us with the film and documentary about our work, 9to5 is a movement for women who want more and are demanding more for themselves, their communities and future generations.

We advocate for issues such as paid leave, child care, voting rights, and climate justice. We care about every issue that impacts the lives of women and nonbinary folks. This work can vary by community. For instance, in SouthwestGeorgia, we work on utility justice. In some parts of Southwest Georgia, the utility bills can be as high as rent. This places an added burden on women who are already struggling to make ends meet.

READ MORE HERE.

Faces in the Movement: A Q&A with Khia Shaw-Wilson, United Women in Faith’s Transformation Officer

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Khia Shwa-Wilson

There are a host of women driving meaningful change. We don’t always see them but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist or that their work isn’t impactful. Coinciding with Women’s History Month, we are interviewing and profiling women who are advancing change.

As such, we caught up with Khia Shaw-Wilson, Transformation Officer with United Women in Faith. Shaw-Wilson has held a number of leadership positions with the organization since 2016.

Tell us about your work with United Women in Faith?

I’ve been with United Women in Faith for almost a decade. I currently serve as the Transformation Officer but previously served as the director of membership and engagement. In my current capacity, I design initiatives that align with the organization’s strategic plan, and provide oversight of the organization’s priorities: positioning the organization, engaging women to join the work, and mobilizing women to act.

What does a Transformation Officer do? 

My role is to drive innovation aligned with our organizational priorities. I work to ensure that we create short and long-term value for our members and stakeholders. This is reflected in the programming and resources that we offer.

What United Women in Faith program are you most passionate? 

United Women in Faith is a unique organization with many impactful and inspiring programs. I am most excited that we offer not just programs but experiences to meet women where they are and for every phase of a woman’s spiritual journey.

We offer Soul Care retreats for women who have prioritized their self-care and want spiritual rejuvenation, Mission u offers a transformative experience on a biblical theme through the lens of justice. We also offer a leadership track that is woven throughout our programming along with opportunities to ACT through the ongoing campaign work of advocating for “Just Energy 4 All” and “Ending mass Incarceration.” In communities, we have National Mission Institutions which serve marginalized communities and our most vulnerable populations across the U.S. We want to prepare women for mission, and offer a reading list that highlights authors and books that are important to our missional and movement work. 

Were you the architect of United Women in Faith’s Soul Care program? 

Yes, I developed Soul Care with the help of amazing colleagues. We surveyed women of all ages, ethnicities, and cultures and learned that women were seeking experiences that embody body self-care and spiritual rejuvenation. We call the merger of these ideas, Soul Care. We are intentional about including a Soul Care component in all workshops and major events. We also have held Soul Care Retreats, which offer a way to connect with other women and feed the mind, body and spirit.  

Is Soul Care available to non-members? 

Soul care retreats are designed as a welcoming event for new women to get an initial look at United Women in Faith. Our members are hosting these retreats across the country, inviting non-member friends and new women.

READ MORE HERE.

Jennifer R. Farmer, aka The PR Whisperer®, is the principal of Spotlight PR LLC. Be sure to check out other blogs and subscribe for regular communications updates. 

 

 

United Women in Faith on USAID: To Continue to Freeze Aid is To Break with Precedent and Sacrifice Human Lives

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For Immediate Release

February 12, 2025

NEW YORK – Following the administration’s decision to shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Women in Faith expressed concern for the millions of individuals and programs served by USAID. They lamented the challenge the lack of funding will have on core programs, including Africa University, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church:

“It is imperative that the courts step in and save the lives of thousands of persons served by programs of USAID, including Africa University. To continue on this path of cruelty, in the freezing of foreign aid, is to break with precedent and sacrifice human lives. With each passing day, humanity hangs in the balance.

“We shouldn’t wait to see bodies piled up in international streets to take action. Nor should we allow our conscience to be desensitized to the pleas and pain of our brothers and sisters abroad.

“USAID was mandated by Congress and the government has a responsibility to act. People of faith must hold them accountable for doing so. We are urging all members of United Women in Faith to call their congressional leaders and plead for mercy and action.

“We are also reminding the nation of these words from Matthew 25:37-40: “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’””

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Read other press statements here.

Advocates Note Chaos Created By White House’s Proposed Funding Freeze on Life-Saving Programs

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For Immediate Release

Jan. 28, 2025

WASHINGTON – On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would pause federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance. The announcement sent shock waves across the country. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan temporarily halted the administration’s funding freeze. By late Wednesday morning, the White House Office of Management and Budget rescinded its proposal.

Human rights advocates, including some affiliated with the Raising Child Care Fund, noted the chaos the proposal had on families and communities. They voiced concerns over the impact of cuts to lifeline programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and more:

“Children are not Democrats nor Republicans,” said Tyrone Scott, Director of Government and External Affairs, First Up. “They are simply looking to us, the adults, to make decisions that give them the best possibilities for their futures.  The proposed freezes and political gesturing do not do that. We urge all elected and appointed officials to reach out to actual experts and use their input to make decisions. Campaign slogans and rhetoric do not help children. High quality education, healthcare, food security and housing help children.”

“Freezes to federal funding that cuts access to food, shelter, healthcare, or other essential support services will be an economic disaster for working women and nonbinary people of color,” said Mica Whitfield, 9to5 Co-President/CEO. “One missed payment is an unacceptable loss for hard-working people. Any gaps in service or payments will devastate working families. While hiding behind eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, the administration wants to destabilize the very people they seek to silence– people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and women who are already navigating systemic inequities in an economy designed to leave them behind.”

“For small businesses across America, the administration’s decision to freeze all federal funding could be catastrophic. Federal funding serves as the backbone of many community programs and initiatives that small businesses rely on to thrive,” said Richard Trent, Main Street Alliance Executive Director. “Without it, essential services like infrastructure development, workforce training, and childcare programs—services that allow small businesses to operate and grow—will crumble and the ripple effects will hit Main Street hard. As a member of the Wisconsin Care Coalition, Main Street Alliance stands with other coalition members like 9to5 Wisconsin and Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed (WECAN), in highlighting the severe consequences this freeze will have on small businesses and the broader community.”

“”Parents, child care providers, and early childhood educators across Ohio are uniting to demand real investments in child care and early childhood education because every child deserves a strong start,” said Tami Lunan, Organizing Director, The Care Economy Organizing Project in Ohio. “Programs like Head Start, Medicaid, and SNAP aren’t optional; they are the foundation of healthy child development and family stability. Freezing federal funds for these critical programs is irresponsible. It directly undermines the care and education systems that working families rely on, putting our youngest and most vulnerable children at risk. We need long-term funding solutions that support those who care for and educate our children, not political decisions that jeopardize their future. Ohio families deserve better, and we won’t stop organizing until every child has access to the quality care and early learning they need to thrive.”  

“We knew this was coming,” said Marina Marcou-O’Malley and Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, co-Executive Directors, Alliance for Quality Education. “His goal is to create chaos, fear, and helplessness. By spreading lies and misinformation, he wants to erode our trust in government, so that our collective efforts to fight back are lost in the confusion. Here are the facts: Congress—not the president—controls federal spending. New York State has significant power to protect and support our communities. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Call your Member of Congress and demand they reject this. Tell the Governor and Mayor that complacency is not an option. And before you do anything else—remember to breathe.”

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The Alliance for Quality Education is a coalition mobilizing communities across the state to keep New York true to its promise of ensuring a high-quality public education to all students regardless of zip code.

The Raising Child Care Fund (RCCF) is an initiative of ECFC that pools private foundation dollars to give grants to groups that lift up the voices of families, early educators, and allies—working alongside them to build powerful coalitions to transform child care and expand equity.

The CEO Project organizes parents, child care providers, and teachers to take collective action on issues that impact the care economy in Ohio.

9to5 fights for worker justice and family and community sustainability and is building power in our communities. We have active voter engagement, paid leave, utility justice, climate justice, childcare, anti-discrimination, and anti-harassment campaigns throughout the state of Georgia. Our members span from the Metro Atlanta area to Southwest and Central Georgia, and Savannah, Georgia.

 

Advocates React to President Trump’s Proposed Funding Freeze on Life-Saving Programs

Posted on

For Immediate Release

Jan. 28, 2025

WASHINGTON – On Jan. 27, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would pause federal grants, loans, and other financial assistance. The announcement sent shock waves across the country. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan temporarily halted the administration’s funding freeze. Human rights advocates, including those with the Raising Child Care Fund, voiced concerns over the impact of cuts to lifeline programs such as Medicaid, Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and more:

“With wages so low, and the price of basic necessities like food, health care, and rent so high, working families depend on federal programs like child care, Head Start, SNAP, and TANF to make ends meet,” said Mary Ignatius, Executive Director of Parent Voices.

“This administration has been in power for less than a month and it is already clear that the President is determined to pay for tax cuts for his billionaire friends by taking resources away from working people,” said LaDon Love, Executive Director of SPACEs in Action. “Every community in America is harmed by this order, from children in HeadStart to veterans, from medical researchers to construction workers.”

“Not only does this order bring harm and confusion to some of our most vulnerable community members, it is an attack on our Constitution which does not allow the President to disobey laws simply because he does not like them,” Love added. “If the President wants to repeal programs like Medicaid and HeadStart, let him take his case to Congress.”

“For this reason, our organization has chosen not to rely on federal grants. However, we actively advocate for child care providers who do benefit from these supports, working to advance the critical infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of marginalized families and children across Alabama,” said Lenice Emanuel, Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice.

“Federal funding has been crucial in sustaining early education programs, especially in under-resourced communities where access to quality childcare and education is already limited,” said Dr. Constance Smiley Dial, owner of Trinity Kids Learning in Mobile, AL. “For providers like me, these grants are essential to maintaining operations, supporting staff, and offering affordable care to working families. These funds enable us to invest in updated educational resources, implement advanced curricula, and ensure safe and nurturing learning environments for the children of Alabama.”

“There is a very fragile and thin line between keeping a roof over your head or homelessness,” Ignatius said. “It is abhorrent that there is any discussion to freeze and essentially cut life-saving relief while boasting extending tax cuts for the 1% who don’t need it. This will cost taxpayers $400 Billion per year, and increase poverty at unprecedented rates.  The administration is limiting life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to only the richest in this nation. It’s shameful.”

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SPACEs in Action is a non-profit, grassroots organization that advocates for the health and dignity of Black and Brown communities in the DC Metro region.

Parent Voices is a partnership of parents throughout California that combines leadership development and community organizing in its efforts to increase funding, improve quality, and provide better access to child care for all families.

Alabama Institute for Social Justice (AISJ) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for social justice and racial reconciliation across the state of Alabama.

Trinity Learning Center is a Christ- Centered Daycare that always strive to show each child that God’s world is a beautiful place to live, love and learn!

The Raising Child Care Fund (RCCF) is an initiative of ECFC that pools private foundation dollars to give grants to groups that lift up the voices of families, early educators, and allies—working alongside them to build powerful coalitions to transform child care and expand equity.