We spoke up in Salem for more affordable childcare this year — and we got it!
And it’s just the beginning of what we have in mind for creating a childcare system that actually works for the people who need childcare (parents!) and the people who provide it (childcare workers!). And yes, the children who attend it.
Here’s What Happened – and How:
Family Forward members and supporters asked their state representatives to increase funding for Oregon’s successful but chronically underfunded “Employment Related Day Care” program (aka “ERDC”) during our short legislative session last month.
Together we persuasively urged key legislators to prioritize funding for this important childcare assistance program so that eligible, low-wage families don’t languish on a wait list for another year due to underfunding. And it worked! Because you raised your voice at a time when it was needed most, an additional $2.2 million of our state’s budget will help families to afford childcare – helping them to keep their jobs.
Wait, It Gets Better…
Due to our effective grassroots (that’s you!) and in-the-capitol advocacy (our awesome lobbyist and non-profit partners), qualifying parents in Oregon will soon be able to use ERDC support for time spent in school when they’re working toward a post-secondary or higher education. This is a BIG & POSITIVE shift that will make a very real, on-the-ground difference in parents’ lives as they work toward a degree.
Speaking Up is One Thing, Getting Results is Another: We Did Both!
When we speak up with good ideas to support the change we know working families need, the result is a state budget that reflects the priorities of Oregonians. Like you!
Of course our job isn’t over yet. Not when Oregon is rated the least affordable state for childcare in the nation. Not when families across our state are struggling to find and afford the quality care they want and need for their children while they work and attend school. Not while the sky-high cost of childcare pushes too many mothers out of the paid workforce.
Over the next few years you’ll see Family Forward advocating more often for a childcare system that works for all Oregonians. And we hope you’ll be working right along side us – because we sure can’t do it alone!