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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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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.

 

Ohio Child Care Providers and Parents Secure Major Changes to the Child Care & the Development Block Grant

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For Immediate Release

March 5, 2024

COLUMBUS – Ohio families can breathe a little easier thanks to the hard work of several child care providers and parents affiliated with The CEO Project, a division of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative. The group submitted testimony in August 2023 on proposed rule changes to the Child Care & the Development Block Grant and outlined ways the federal government could better support children, families and child care providers. On Friday, March 1, the federal Office of Child Care responded to the testimony and granted many of the things the child care providers from Ohio sought.

The Office of Child Care specifically wanted input from child care providers in Ohio, Georgia and Colorado about the impact of proposed changes on parents and providers. The CEO Project convened 12 leaders from cities such as Cincinnati, Columbus, Lima and Youngstown for input; 5 of them shared testimony with federal officials. They also urged child care advocacy organizations in Minnesota and other places to also submit testimony.

As a result of their advocacy, the Office of Child Care agreed to:

  • Ensure equal access to child care by limiting copayment to 7%. (§ 98.45)
  • Structure payment based on enrollment not attendance. Rather than require it outright, there is qualifying language “to the extent possible” but it is a step forward. (§ 98.15)
  • Increase parental choice via the use of contracts and grants. (§ 98.30)
  • Assume presumptive eligibility for 3 months prior to establishing eligibility. At a Lead Agency’s option, a child may be considered presumptively eligible for up to three months and begin to receive child care subsidy prior to full documentation and eligibility determination.

“Every child care worker knows what its like to care for a child, only to find out months later that the parent is not eligible for subsidized care, and the provider therefore doesn’t get paid. This isn’t right and the new rule change will give the state time to determine eligibility and will help ensure providers are not working for free,” said Tamara Lunan, director of The CEO Project.

“These changes are a major win for Ohio children and families, and could not have happened without the courage of parents and providers with The CEO Project,” Lunan added. “The CEO Project is the first ever grassroots effort led by women of color childcare providers in Ohio organizing for structural change to the childcare system. In July 2023, we urged our network of child care leaders with The CEO Project and our national partners to collect comments from other providers and parents about the proposed changes. We then submitted those comments for consideration to federal officials. We wanted to highlight the true impact of the rule changes on ordinary child care providers and parents who desperately need accessible early childhood education and care. This work is the direct result of childcare providers reclaiming their power and fighting for their communities.”

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