2022: The Year to Transform Child Care and Early Education, Address Inequities
As we start a new year, we thank you for your ongoing support and partnership on child care advocacy. This is a highly uncertain time. With COVID surging and the path for long-term funding through Build Back Better still unclear, the need for continued advocacy is more important than ever.
The new year finds us actively supporting the bold and equitable implementation of child care relief funds that will have a dramatic impact on families' access to high-quality child care and workforce support. The investments total over $50 billion, including resources from:
While these resources are vital in helping alleviate the deep impacts of the pandemic, much more is needed to address the historic and systemic failures of the system. Historically, the child care system has relied on Black women’s and other women of color’s undercompensated labor, as well as families that pay the high costs of care. It’s time to put the needs of families and the workforce first.
Congress must continue working toward passing crucial legislation that will help meet all children’s and families' needs. The Build Back Better Act is an unprecedented investment that provides the funding necessary to begin addressing inequities and building a sustainable system of high-quality child care and early education. Despite the uncertainty of the bill's passage in the Senate, we remain hopeful and optimistic that, working collectively with other organizations, advocates, policymakers, and you, we can get this transformative bill over the finish line.
Here are some of our latest resources to support the bold implementation of these historic funds while also advocating for the passage of Build Back Better and its large-scale investments. With this transformational legislation, it is possible to begin establishing an infrastructure for a more equitable child care system. In 2022, the CLASP child care and early education team looks forward to continuing this critical work alongside all of you.
During the last quarter, the child care and early education team's work was featured in many publications including: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Huffington Post, CNBC, The Washington Post, Business Insider, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fatherly, MS Magazine, Marketplace, and more.
|
