This piece was published originally in Spanish here.
On May 11, thousands of childcare centers across the United States had no meals prepared and no learning materials ready. Instead, providers, parents, and supporters took to the streets with signs in hand, from Tennessee and Indiana to California and New York, joining the largest nationwide work stoppage in the sector’s history.
More than 3,850 people participated in more than 77 events in 30 states as part of Community Change Action’s fifth National Day Without Child Care. The mobilization marks the launch of a national campaign demanding the creation of a universal childcare system.
Lorella Praeli, co-president of Community Change Action, explained: “Our campaign is a long-term organizing project based on the idea that care services are essential infrastructure and that all families in this country deserve access to affordable, high-quality childcare services. And providers deserve thriving wages for the work they do. We know this won’t happen overnight, but we’re closer than ever.”
Some of the events included rallies at local city halls, conversations with elected officials, and press conferences to highlight that childcare is essential economic infrastructure and that the price of childcare has become unaffordable for families in almost every part of the country.
Day Without Childcare in Connecticut
“The possibility of building a country where care is no longer invisible, where families no longer have to struggle alone, where the people who raise and care for our children are valued, and where every child can grow up in a society that treats them well. That is the future we are fighting for now. And after what happened today in this country, I believe more people are willing to build it with us. So let’s go out and build it!” Praeli added.
Martha Rae, a former childcare provider in Indiana, added: “For years, childcare prices have continued to rise; providers have been shouldering the burden, and now our communities are being directly attacked. Our funds have been frozen; violent federal agents have shown up in our children’s safe spaces and our workplaces, while our Black and Latino communities have been scapegoated. Today’s strike says: ‘Enough!'”
Day Without Childcare in Utah
On the other hand, Lenice Emanuel, executive director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice and founder of Alabama Movement for Child Care, called on elected legislators during the virtual Day Without Childcare mobilization: “We are going to win universal childcare, and the next few years will determine which politicians got on board with progress and which stood in the way of making life easier for families.”
More events are anticipated in states such as Louisiana, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. throughout the rest of this week. Meanwhile, Community Change Action announced that this summer, there will be a Childcare Convention, in which providers, parents, and allies from across the country will define the path toward a universal system, created by and for providers and parents.
“The most impactful thing about this moment is that we are not alone. We are a community of providers, families, and supporters—people who understand that childcare is not a luxury, but something truly essential. What began as a simple moment has truly become a movement,” emphasized Janna Rodríguez, founder of The Innovative Daycare Corp.