Support Building a Better Child Care Network for Arlington Families

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation is proud to announce a new pilot initiative to improve child care access and affordability in Arlington - a network of family day home providers that connects families to care, supports providers, and gives employers a meaningful resource for their employees.

The pilot network will be the initial focus for the Arlington Child Care Alliance, launched through the Chamber Foundation. The pilot was proposed by a group of community leaders, business leaders, and child care providers who convened on June 16 to consider existing challenges in the child care space and determine solutions that are grounded in reality and ready for action.

Participants at the Arlington Child Care Alliance Kick Off

The Chamber released data from its recent survey of parents/guardians and employers, providing compelling evidence of the challenges surrounding child care:

• 80% of working parents cited the high cost of care as a concern.
• More than 50% noted they pay more than $2,000 a month for care.
• More than 50% respondents stated that child care impacts their ability to work.
• Less than 10% of working parents found their employers' child care benefits very effective.

The impact of these survey results was reinforced with Arlington County data noting that the average center costs for an infant and a four-year-old in Arlington County are $45,240 per year, higher than in neighboring jurisdictions such as Washington, D.C. and Alexandria. The fertility rate in Arlington has dropped by approximately 25%, and a key reason is that young families choose to leave Arlington in search of more affordable or more accessible child care.

The recommendation to pilot a network of family day home providers emerged as a compelling, community-driven strategy to expand access and offer families across income levels access to quality affordable care options. A coordinated network of providers will offer peer learning, and streamlined administration, and administrative support. The network will also connect unlicensed providers with the resources to obtain licensure, allowing them to survive and grow. Through the creation of the network, working families will be able to more easily find available, high-quality care in the community.

Because family day home providers typically charge less than centers or nannies, strengthening this industry helps working families access affordable care options. This functions similarly to how market rate affordable housing helps bridge affordability gaps.

We need your voice and support

Next steps: The Arlington Child Care Alliance will engage with local family day home providers to begin shaping a pilot network that offers meaningful value and support for participants. The pilot will be the focus of the Alliance as part of its broader efforts to address Arlington's child care needs.

As the Chamber Foundation moves forward with this pilot, we invite you to:

• Become a partner by providing funding to support the pilot
• Help us identify resources or connections to grow this effort

If you are interested in becoming a partner by providing funding, please contact Will Mulligan, Membership Engagement Director at [email protected] or at 703-525-2400 ext. 201.

If you are interested in identifying resources or connections to grow the network, or have questions about the Alliance, please contact Andra Popescu, Events & Programs Director at [email protected] or at 703-525-2400 ext. 204.