MAY 8, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Domenica Ghanem, [email protected], 609-457-5663

“Don’t You Dare Cut Our Care:” 700+ Child Care Providers Across the Country Close Their Doors Amidst President Biden-House Leader McCarthy Debt Limit Negotiations 

Thousands more providers, parents and allies join 50+ Day Without Child Care events in 19 states and Washington D.C. to draw attention to the need for child care funding and demand investments for a 21st-century childcare system centered on racial and gender justice

Nationwide – As the urgency of our childcare crisis grows with providers grossly underpaid, parents unable to find or afford daycare slots, and women forced out of the workforce, Community Change Action’s Childcare Changemakers and partners are coming together for the 2nd annual “Day Without Child Care.” More than 700 providers are closing their doors for the day with support from the community and families they serve to take part in the national day of action. Thousands more providers, parents, and allies will take part in more than 50 actions planned across 19 states and D.C.

While the House GOP is doing everything in their power to prevent solutions moving forward, including threatening to default on our federal government unless massive cuts are made to programs that help working families – childcare providers, parents, elected officials, and national allies are shedding a light on the true cost of care and demanding funding for a 21st century childcare system that is rooted in racial and gender justice. Among their demands are living wages for providers and affordable care for all families.

BriTanya Brown, a child care owner-provider in Stamford, Texas and Childcare Changemaker with Community Change Action who is leading a rally in Austin today said: “House Republicans have passed a bill that would hold our economy hostage with massive spending cuts to the programs we need. According to the Department of Health and Human services, their proposed cuts could mean the loss of an estimated 101,000 childcare slots & over 200,000 Head Start slots – that once again would disproportionately affect Black and brown families. To those elected officials we say: Don’t you dare cut our care.”

Evelan Fountain, a Childcare Changemaker and early childhood educator at Family Circle Academy in Philadelphia, who was in attendance at President Biden’s recent executive order on care signing said: “I’ve worked in childcare for 15 years and in education as an elementary school teacher. As an early educator I often hear, ‘you’re just a babysitter’ or ‘how hard can that job really be?’ But I would invite anyone, especially our elected officials who are choosing not to fund the true cost of care, to come work at a childcare center for just a couple weeks while trying to pay all of your bills. It’s impossible.”

While GOP threats to the programs our families need are looming, childcare organizers have earned some victories at the state level. In November, Community Change Action partner OLE (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment), was part of a coalition that won child care as a guaranteed right for every kid in New Mexico in their state Constitution. In Minnesota, Community Change Action partner ISAIAH, also working in coalition, is close to securing a more than $1 billion investment for child care, early education, and combatting homelessness.

Nicole Flick, a childcare provider and organizer with ISAIAH in Dilworth, Minnesota said about being on the cusp of winning investments for child care at the state level: “We’re building a movement to see and treat this profession with dignity and respect, with real wages and compensation. We’re at the beginning of our wins and we’ve made it here because of the consistent and unrelenting power building providers and leaders across the base have been doing for a long time.”

Dorian Warren, Co-President of Community Change Action, said: “I’m the proud, and often very tired, parent of a toddler. As a parent, I stand in solidarity today with childcare providers across the country who feel like they have no other choice but to take bold action like shutting their doors or call out to uplift the crisis our child care system is in. As parents we need to be in solidarity with early educators because our system is broken – it does not work for providers and it does not work for families. We must fund our childcare system at the true cost of care.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY

WHAT: 2023 Day Without Child Care national day of action

WHEN: Monday, May 8, 2023

WHERE: At least nineteen states across the country, including Alabama, California, D.C., Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and more. 

Some highlights include:

• National virtual event featuring Community Change Action Co-President Dorian Warren, elected officials including Rep. Rashida Tlaib, national allies including Child Care for Every Family Network and Moms Rising, Community Change Action’s Childcare Changemakers, and other Community Change Action partners
• Washington, DC – SPACEs in Action will do a banner drop on North Capitol St. and embark on a tour of early learning childcare centers throughout the District to encourage childcare champions to knock out barriers, not cut our care
• Minneapolis, MN – Childcare providers will close their doors early and bring children to the Capitol where parents will meet them for a rally to celebrate transformational child care funding bill expected to pass in the state
• Austin, TX – Childcare providers will close their doors for the day and head to the state Capitol for a press and kid-friendly event. Program will be bilingual in English and Spanish.
• Columbus, Ohio – Childcare providers, organizers, and business owners will host a press conference at the State Capitol to demand ‘Care, Not Cuts’ amid state budget talks
• Philadelphia, PA – Childcare providers will close their doors for the day to rally at City Hall to demand living wages for providers and funding for affordable care
• Indianapolis, IN – Childcare providers will close their doors for the day to hold a press conference and send a “care-a-van” to the Capitol
• Oakland, California – Parents, providers, and CCPU union members will host a press conference and rally to show the day in the life of childcare workers and support Measure C to fund child care and living wages
• Manhattan, New York – Childcare providers and supporters will head to the Governor’s office to rally for more investments for childcare educators

WHO: Community Change Action Childcare Changemakers and partners, childcare providers, parents, and allies

You can follow along on social media throughout the day for just some of the events taking place on #DayWithoutChildcare. 

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