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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