This April, Community Change joined the Care Can’t Wait coalition to celebrate Care Worker Recognition Month and the one-year anniversary of the White House Executive Order on Care — and to call for more federal investments to address our childcare crisis.

Actions throughout the week aimed to shine a spotlight on the care workers who keep our economy running. That’s because caregivers are the workforce behind the workforce — without these champions providing care to children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, families would not be able to go to work and contribute to their communities. Despite this, care workers’ contributions are often overlooked and undervalued – and their inadequate pay reflects that. But we’re fighting for change.

We kicked off our week of action with a rally at Union Station, surrounded by Community Change Childcare Changemakers and partner organizations, Care Can’t Wait national allies, and President Biden. Our Co-President, Lorella Praeli, and Community Change Childcare Changemaker Mariah Burnley both spoke to the crowd. 

“We deserve a future where every child has access to quality care. A future where families aren’t breaking bank in order to get that care, and a future where providers are paid a thriving wage,” said Lorella.

Mariah took to the podium to share her own care story, accompanied by her 5-year-old son, describing how when she became a mom and needed quality care for her boys, it was impossible to find in her home state of West Virginia. So she started her own care program during the pandemic and now supports over 70 families with her center. It’s important to her to keep rates low for families while still providing quality care — and something she can’t do without federal support. 

“Childcare staff need thriving wages that reflect the value and their crucial work, the program owners need consistent revenue, and families need access to that affordable, high quality education,” she said. “We are not only supporting the workforce of today, but we’re educating the workforce of tomorrow.”

On Wednesday, Community Change participated in #TheCareEconomy Town Hall, a time for care providers to speak to members of Congress and Secretary of Labor Julie Su about what kind of legislation can make a difference in care workers’ lives. Community Change Childcare Changemaker BriTanya Brown shared her own story of being both a mom with twins and a childcare provider before asking a question of Whip Rep. Katherine Clark: “What do you see as the biggest obstacle to fixing our broken child care system and how are you approaching this in Congress?”

Representative Clark responded: “I think our biggest barrier — there are many — but one of them is that we have made women who provide care, who are usually low-income women of color, our social safety net. And we have not paid them their worth and we continue to devalue their work. There is such a baked-in, biased bigotry in this system. It is going to take all of us to break through that,” she said. “There is a fundamental cultural change that we need to make, and that is valuing the workers in care and making sure that we understand the high cost of care and bringing up provider pay. We can only meet that delta by having federal investment in care.”

The week of action closed out on Thursday with an intimate panel on care hosted by the White House. Community Change Co-President Dorian Warren, Community Change Childcare Changemakers, and partners were part of a select few invited to be audience members for this panel.

Throughout the week, we made the most of having Childcare Changemakers from across the country in D.C. by meeting with legislators on the Hill and talking to them about what childcare providers need to keep their doors open and services accessible. We know lawmakers can’t legislate real solutions to our childcare crisis if they don’t hear from people who are navigating the challenge of it every day. 

“As human beings, care is something that is necessary,” said Mansie Meikle, a mother of three and Community Change Childcare Changemaker from New York. “Our kids can’t wait. We have to work, we have to provide for our families, and in order to do that, we need care.”

Our leaders are back home now, but they’re not done organizing. We’re ramping up for Community Change Action’s 3rd annual Day Without Child Care, where some childcare providers will, with the support of the families they serve, shut their doors, some will call out sick or close early, and many will stand in solidarity or participate in nationwide actions — all to spotlight the true cost of care and demand the funding we need for a 21st century child care system. 

Last year’s Day Without Child Care saw over 700 providers shut their doors and spurred over 55 events hosted throughout the country by childcare providers and advocates. After hitting the childcare cliff last September, which exacerbated our childcare crisis even more, we expect folks to come out in droves this year. We’re energized to stage a truly historic day of action on May 13.