Statement
CHICAGO (April 18, 2023) – On behalf of the nation’s 2,600 YMCAs, I want to express my appreciation to President Biden for recognizing the important role that early care and education plays in enriching the lives of young people and ensuring a strong, vibrant economy.
The Y is the nation’s largest nonprofit provider of early-care and education programs, with more than 1,400 early learning centers across the nation. We strive to ensure that young children have access to healthy relationships, environments and experiences that nurture their development. By providing families with quality, year-round care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers, the Y supports working families and helps prepare young children for success in kindergarten and beyond.
We are pleased that President Biden is directing federal agencies to consider actions that make quality care accessible to more families across the nation and support the child care workforce. As an experienced community provider of quality early-care and education programs, the Y understands that these programs are essential to putting children on a path to lifelong success, as well as ensuring a thriving economy by allowing caregivers to go to work and school.
Meeting the nation’s demand for quality child care means giving families choices. We appreciate the Biden Administration’s call for the use of a mixed delivery system that embraces the role that child care centers, family child care and for-profit and nonprofit providers alike play in creating a robust system for America’s families.
The Y looks forward to working with the administration, Congress and state officials to make these Executive Actions a reality. Working together, we can address the ongoing staffing shortage, improve access in hard-to-serve areas, support the mental health and emotional wellness of staff and children and address other areas of need.