section 1
During Women’s History Month in 2023 , I shared my thoughts about the intrinsic connection between workforce gender equity and access to affordable child care.
One year later, the challenge of finding affordable child care is as difficult as ever for women and families across our country.
The Y will continue to be a champion for our kids, for our families, and for gender equity, by advocating for increased access to affordable child care in communities across the country.
The end of emergency relief funding from the American Rescue Plan has put increased pressure on child care providers—and as a result, women and families, too. In response, many organizations, including the Y, called on Congress to address our country’s child care crisis (see my Newsweek op-ed from November).
In February, I joined more than 400 YMCA staff, volunteers and youth advocates for the YMCA’s National Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C., where we asked our members of Congress to support increased child care funding. Many of the youth advocates were young women who are active in their YMCA’s youth development programs, including Youth & Government. They were adding their voices to a conversation that could affect their own experiences when they enter the workforce. Seeing firsthand their passion for solving this challenge gives me hope that change is possible.
More and more, we are seeing local, state and federal government agencies working directly with YMCAs to help expand child care options in their communities. And I was encouraged to see support in the proposed budget released by the White House recently for several initiatives that could improve access to affordable child care. The Y is grateful for these efforts and the attention the issue is getting—despite the current difficult federal fiscal climate. (Read my recent statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address).
Yet, even with some progress, the reality is that much more is needed to help families in the U.S. for whom child care is out of reach. The Y will continue to be a champion for our kids, for our families, and for gender equity, by advocating for increased access to affordable child care in communities across the country.
Read my original post on this topic from March 2023: Workforce Gender Equity Begins with Affordable, High-Quality Child Care.
The Y will continue to be a champion for our kids, for our families, and for gender equity, by advocating for increased access to affordable child care in communities across the country.
