We are Parents and Child Care Workers, Uniting for Child Care for All
No matter what we look like or where we live, child care should be free and accessible for every family, and every child care worker should earn a living wage with benefits.
Right now child care in Illinois is in crisis. Parents can’t find and afford child care. Meanwhile, workers can’t afford to stay in the field due to low wages and lack of benefits. The failures of our current system are felt by families and workers of all demographics and economic backgrounds, however, they hit women, low-income communities and communities of color the hardest. Because corporations and wealthy individuals have refused to pay what they owe in taxes, our state is not able to invest the resources needed in child care and other services that our communities need.
Another way is possible. With meaningful investment and a new approach, we can correct course. Taxing corporations and the rich would provide funding and a path for us to collectively build a universal child care system that truly meets the needs of working parents and child care workers.
It’s time we invest in child care as a public service just like we do for public education. It’s time we treat child care as an investment in our society, in our children, and in the future of our state. We can’t wait any longer.
Learn More & Take Action
Below are steps you can take to move us closer to child care for all.
Pam Franks
Licensed Home Child Care Provider
If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that child care is the backbone of our society. We can’t wait any longer for change. Providers are struggling to even stay open and parents are desperate. We need bold and courageous solutions. We need Child Care for All.
Delia Perez
Chicago mother of 3
When my kids were small and I had to work the late shift, there weren’t child care providers who could care for my children. If I hadn’t had family there to help, I probably would have lost my job and my home.