On May 12th, 2025, thousands of providers and families across the United States participated in Community Change Action’s fourth annual Day Without Child Care — the largest one-day work stoppage in childcare organizing history. The national day of action brought visibility to a reality millions of Americans already live: our childcare system is at a breaking point. Families across the country face soaring costs, long waitlists, and a shortage of providers—especially in rural and low-income communities. Approximately 14.7 million children under age five in the United States need care, yet the current system lacks the workforce and infrastructure to meet that demand.

From New York to North Carolina, childcare providers like Octavia McLaurin and Melanie Call stepped forward—not just to withhold their services for a day, but to illuminate what’s been happening behind the scenes for years. Their actions made one thing resoundingly clear: when childcare disappears, everything else falls apart.

This year’s action shattered records.

• 1,395 providers closed their doors or called out with the support of the families they serve.
• Hundreds of events took place across 27 states and D.C.
• Demonstrators swarmed state capitols from Columbus, OH, to Baton Rouge, LA, to St. Paul, MN.
• Media coverage reached over 186.4 million people, with features on NPR and over 330 local news outlets.
• Social media posts made 20.6 million impressions.
• At least 131 local, state, and federal elected officials showed up in support.

These numbers are more than stats; they’re a declaration of collective power.

For Octavia McLaurin, a provider in Las Vegas, child care is more than a profession; it’s a lifeline for working families. “I support families by caring for their children while they work or attend to other responsibilities,” she explained. But on May 12th, she chose not to open her doors. “I participated because it is time to bring more attention to the challenges care providers face—especially how undervalued and underpaid we are.”

It wasn’t an easy decision. Providers like McLaurin, who lives and works in Las Vegas, already work long hours with limited resources, often sacrificing personal time and financial stability to meet the needs of their communities. But for her, Day Without Child Care was a necessary disruption. “I wanted to be part of a movement that advocates for fair pay, better working conditions, and real recognition for providers,” she said. “The families I work with were supportive and understanding. Some even shared their own stories about how hard it is to find affordable and trustworthy care.”

The reality in Las Vegas mirrors the national landscape. “Many providers struggle with low pay, lack of benefits, and rising costs while trying to provide quality care,” McLaurin shared. Despite being essential workers, one in seven childcare workers in the US, a significant portion of whom are women and women of color, lived with family income below the federal poverty line. The dedication it takes to show up every day, to nurture, teach, and care for children under these conditions, is nothing short of heroic. But heroism should not be a requirement for survival.

In Salt Lake City, Utah, Melanie Call brought her four-year-old son with her to the State Capitol to participate in the day of action. For her, this work is deeply personal. “I joined because I’ve personally felt the weight of our broken childcare system,” she said. “I left the workforce when [my son] was a year old. I know I’m not alone. We shouldn’t have to choose between earning a living and caring for our families.”

Call is a mother, a founder, and a tireless advocate for working families. Her leadership in the community reflects the systemic nature of the crisis: child care isn’t just a family issue; it’s an economic, racial, and gender justice issue. “I wore many hats that day—serving, organizing, and showing up emotionally,” she said. “Our presence was a form of resistance and visibility.”

The response she received at the Capitol underscored just how urgent the crisis has become. “I felt a sense of unity from the people who were there, and I heard gratitude from parents who often feel unseen,” Call reflected. “While some local leaders are beginning to understand the depth of the crisis, we still have a long way to go.”

In Utah, she noted, families face long waitlists, astronomical costs, and a workforce that’s both exhausted and underpaid. “Many of those workers are women of color,” Call pointed out. “Parents are being forced out of the workforce because care isn’t accessible. Providers are burning out. We need public investment in childcare as essential infrastructure, not a luxury for the few.”

That infrastructure, however, remains precarious. At the federal level, the situation is reaching a critical juncture. Head Start, the oldest and largest federal program to provide comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and families, is under threat of funding cuts by the very administration that once claimed to care so much about families. These cuts would gut access for thousands of low-income families and eliminate essential jobs held by dedicated caregivers. And while the administration touts economic growth, child care workers—98% of whom are women—continue to earn poverty wages.

In this context, Day Without Child Care was not just symbolic. For many families, every day is a day without child care. They can’t afford it, can’t find it, or can’t rely on it because the system is built on scarcity and sacrifice. Child care expenses push an estimated 134,000 American families into poverty each year as they juggle jobs, parenting, and impossible choices. And for providers like McLaurin, a day without child care is not a break; it’s a bat signal.

“We need policies that support providers and caregivers with fair benefits, wages, and respect,” she urged. “I hope more people, including lawmakers, start to see childcare as a priority.”

Call echoes that hope, but with an urgency that doesn’t allow for more empty promises. “I want to see more funding and support for childcare providers and better policies that prioritize working families,” she said. “Nationally, I hope for a permanent childcare solution […] families can’t wait, and our economy depends on it.”

Day Without Childcare isn’t just about one day. It’s about every day.

It’s about making sure no parent has to choose between a paycheck and their child’s care.

It’s about making sure no provider has to work 12-hour days for poverty wages.

It’s about building a future where care is seen, respected, and sustained.

The people who stood up on May 12th—Octavia, Melanie, and thousands of others—are not just participating in a movement. They are the movement. And their message is clear: we can, and must, fight for better support for families, children, and their caregivers.