Screenshot: Community Change Action website

On Monday, May 9, 2022, “child care providers, parents, and families across the country are hosting A Day Without Child Care: A National Day of Action.”

It’s a one-day initiative to support:

• living wages for child care providers

• an equitable child care system built on racial justice, and

• affordable child care for all families

As the initiative’s website explains, “For generations, we have been fighting for equitable access to affordable child care and better pay and working conditions for providers but our needs are still not being met.”

The pandemic has also boosted public awareness about the importance of child care, but the country has not yet invested in building a better early education and care system.

To highlight these unmet needs, some providers are choosing to participate in this day of action by closing for the day or by opening late. Other providers will stay open and raise awareness. Massachusetts providers can share their plans by filling out this form.

As the National Day of Action website says: 

“We are calling for a caring economy that values early education and care providers. We believe child care providers should have a powerful voice in the system that impacts them, that includes granting rights to providers to choose to have a union. And we need a child care infrastructure that makes child care affordable and accessible for all families.”

In Massachusetts, the National Day of Action initiative is being led by Neighborhood Villages, and its webpage lists ways that providers and parents can get involved.

Neighborhood Villages will be doing public outreach at T stops.

Another great idea for families, providers, educators, and advocates is to raise awareness on social media. Some easy steps to take:

• share this video about the importance of early education and child care

• use the national event tool kit, which has tweetable content and advice on reaching out to elected officials

• check out the toolkit posted by Neighborhood Villages, and

• use the hashtags #adaywithoutchildcareMA and #ImaChildCareVoter

There are also in-person actions to take, including:

• hosting a breakfast with other programs

• using drop-off or pick-up time to videotape parents talking about the importance of child care

• having staff wear “Day Without Child Care” T-shirts

• posting yard signs, and

• asking Neighborhood Villages for postcards that parents can fill out and send to their state legislators

For more information, contact Latoya Gayle at Neighborhood Villages at lgayle@neighborhoodvillages.org.

Please share this information with families and with all your personal and professional networks.

And on Monday, please take action!