waterloop’s Post

Philanthropy Advocates is working with our members and partners to advance solutions to this important issue impacting families, employers and kids. Strengthening our early childhood education infrastructure is both a short-term win for families and employers, and a long-term win for kids. “When employees cannot secure reliable childcare, they face increased absenteeism, decreased productivity, and higher stress levels, all of which affect their performance at work. Employers, in turn, experience higher turnover rates, increased recruitment and training costs, and lower overall productivity,” said Amarillo Area Foundation, “Small businesses and large corporations alike report that the lack of affordable childcare is a major barrier to attracting and retaining a skilled workforce.” https://bit.ly/3V1kzO4

Are you aware of the challenges single parents face in balancing work and parenting duties due to the high cost and limited access to quality childcare? 👨👧👦💼🏠 Many are forced to make tough decisions, often compromising their careers or children's well-being. Now is the time to contribute towards a solution! Industries, businesses🏢, philanthropists💰, local government🏛️, community leaders, and housing developers🏗️ all have the power to alleviate this pressing issue. Imagine creating family-friendly policies, supporting affordable local child care providers or even building childcare centers in residential projects. Not only will this positively impact employees and their families, but will also strengthen your Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.#CSR 🤝 It starts with us! Let's rally together and bring sustainable change for #SingleParentsSupport, #CommunityDevelopment, and #BuildingBetterFutures. Interested in joining the cause or learning more? Visit our website https://lnkd.in/gvSp_HKx 🌐 or follow us 👍, like 😊 and comment 💬 to raise awareness. Your likes, comments, and shares have the power to drive change! #ShreveportStrong #LouisianaCommunity #CBAHousing #CommunityBuilders #ShreveportHousing #AffordableHousing #HousingForAll #TogetherWeBuild.

Denver moms: I’m so excited to be launching a Denver chapter of the national nonprofit organization Chamber of Mothers, alongside amazing co-facilitators Lynne Petre and Christine Heitz. Chamber of Mothers is a national organization working to unite mothers in advocacy to address three critical issues impacting moms: affordable childcare, maternal health and paid family leave. By the time I became a mom, I had worked in child and family policy for nearly a decade. I could rattle off all the statistics on the cost of child care, the share of moms who went back to work two weeks (!) after having a baby, and the rising maternal mortality rate. But it wasn’t until I had my own kids that I felt the force of all the ways our society is not set up to support mothers. The question I was constantly asking myself while muddling my way through my oldest son’s first year of life was: “*Why* do we live like this?” Why do I have to leave my baby months before I’m ready because we lack meaningful paid leave policies like other countries have? Why do we expect moms to go back to work like nothing happened after giving birth mere weeks earlier and when they probably haven’t slept more than a two hour stretch in months? Why is postpartum care nearly nonexistent or impossible for most people to access? Why do we pay more than our mortgage for child care while our incredible child care teachers earn barely above minimum wage? And why were many elected officials standing in the way of progress on these issues when nearly every mom I knew was asking themselves at least one of these questions? And I was one of the lucky ones who had access to some paid leave and other resources that are out of reach for too many moms. If I was struggling, so were many others. The truth is: we don’t have to live like this. There are 85 million mothers in America. We’re a powerful voting bloc when we make our voices heard – and amplifying the voices of mothers to drive change across the country is exactly what Chamber of Mothers local chapters are intended to do. We’re kicking off our Denver chapter on June 18th at the Carla Madison Rec Center Multipurpose Room at 5:30 p.m. MDT. Whether you’re a mom-to-be or an experienced mom, a seasoned advocate or have never e-mailed your senator, we’d LOVE to have you. Childcare provided. RSVP below. Questions? Reach us at DenverChapter@chamberofmothers.com. #chamberofmothers #moms #paidleave #childcare #maternalhealth #votelikeamother #vlam #motherhood #themotherswillsaveusall #denvermoms #denverareamoms #coloradomoms #comoms

“[#CHILDCARE] COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS TAKE ROOT” Yes, they are! Quite a lot, actually. Over and over again, when I read about promising progress in addressing childcare affordability, quality, access, and equity, I see one common theme: LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS. The mix of public-private partnerships varies considerably: sometimes state, county, municipal, and/or school districts; sometimes nonprofits; sometimes philanthropy: increasingly, #business; and, sometimes, someone or something that I’ve never thought of…but almost ALL locally-responsive, locally-designed, and locally-leveraged partnerships. This time it’s Northeast #Indiana. 👏 "We want to foster collaboration and ensure childcare is viewed not just as an #earlychildhood issue but as a community-wide concern," says Allie Sutherland. "By bringing together schools, nonprofits, local governments, and funders, we're building solutions that are not only practical but sustainable." Input Fort Wayne, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition, Brighter Futures Indiana 👏 Follow Massachusetts Business Coalition for Early Childhood Education and learn more about how #childcare + #workforce = #jobs + #economicgrowth for ALL! #MassBiz4EarlyEd

Oklahoma's Emergency Child Care Rules Raise Funding Concerns The Oklahoma Child Care Services (CCS) division is proposing emergency rules to address a budget deficit, but child care providers and families worry these changes could exacerbate funding cuts and disrupt services. The Licensed Childcare Association (LCA) has intervened, expressing concerns that the new rules, which include reverting from a state-regulated 5-star scale back to a national 3-star rating system, could impose additional costs on centers and lead to reduced state subsidies. LCA board member Janell Wheat emphasized that implementing these changes without corresponding budget increases could financially strain child care centers. Read the full story on The Black Wall Street Times. Link in bio. #Oklahoma #ChildCare #FundingCuts #BlackWallStreetTimes #BWST

Every family deserves access to #childcare that allows both the child and the caregiver to thrive, while also adequately compensating providers. And new federal legislation could help to do both. The 19th reports on a new rule from the Biden administration that will require every state to cap its co-payments so that families that receive subsidies pay no more than 7% of their income towards childcare, while also improving payment to providers. This is a great step toward creating childcare equity for families of all incomes! https://lnkd.in/ebWrjFQK

EO is proud to announce the launch of transformative giving initiatives designed to fuel long-term programs and services at the EO Regional Workforce and Child Development Hub. This state-of-the-art Hub will host 30,000 student visits annually and provide 300 new childcare slots — critical resources that address Southwest Virginia’s pressing educational and workforce development needs. Read the full release and find more information on how you can give here: https://lnkd.in/erkhRBJ2

🗳️ As part of our budget survey, you can tell us what you think about investing in services to keep children safe, and support for families and schools. For those children who are looked after by the council, long-term family-based placements such as foster families and kinship care give children and young people the best opportunity to thrive. We also want to invest in supporting families across the county to access the services they need, like family hubs, youth services, early years and childcare services. Whether you are a parent or carer yourself or just want to have your say, tell us what you think on these issues and more ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eeyvbJCh

Navigating the challenges of childcare has always been a crucial topic, and it's now more pressing than ever. Our local childcare providers are facing a looming financial crisis as vital state grants are set to expire in June. This insightful article by AVL Watchdog delves into the realities these centers confront, highlighting the potential impact on families and the broader community. Discover why so many childcare centers are grappling with financial instability and what this means for our future. It's time to shed light on these critical issues and work together to find sustainable solutions. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ewdJHNYU Let's support our childcare providers and advocate for the resources they need to thrive! 💪📚👶 CHRISTINE AVERY LEARNING CENTER, Verner Center for Early Learning, Buncombe Partnership for Children #YWCAisOnAMission #EliminatingRacism #EmpoweringWomen #YWCAofAsheville #Childcare #CommunitySupport #FinancialCrisis #Education #EarlyChildhoodEducation #SupportLocal

Brookings Child Care Collaborative (BCCC) Update! 🎉 We are excited to announce that on June 27, the Brookings City Council approved the transfer of $580,000 from BEDC to BCCC to expand childcare! The funds were initially set aside by the City Council from AURPA dollars allocated as COVID relief. After seeking public opinion, increasing childcare was identified as a top priority. Brookings Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) has been pivotal in identifying childcare needs since 2019, partnering with various organizations to understand and address the crisis. This started with the 2019 Workforce Survey Report to understand how the Childcare Crisis was impacting businesses, followed by the Brookings County Child Care Survey Report in 2020, which identified the current care services available, and the Brookings County Child Care Supply Plan in 2022 (you can read more about these reports on our website linked below.) BEDC, the Brookings School District, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Plains came together with shared initiatives of affordable, early learning in Fall 2023 to create a community-based solution. Working together, this partnership will provide continuous care from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM for 360 children aged 0-5. Bringing pre-k and continuous care into our elementary schools, allows the Boys & Girls Club to add capacity for 130 additional infants and toddlers, while the Brookings School District will grow to support pre-K for 230 children aged 4-5. This collaboration highlights the value of our community partners in addressing needs and fostering workforce development for today and the future. As Brookings grows, projects like this ensure inclusive and sustainable progress. 🌱 💪 Thank you, Brookings, for your ongoing support! https://lnkd.in/gUeXBiBN #brookingschildcarecollaborative #economicdevelopment #BEDC #childcare #communitysupport