Childcare Committee
Workers Center for Racial Justice (WCRJ) committees carry out the mission to achieve Black liberation by working on 3 pillars of justice. These committees are the place to develop an understanding about different issue areas, identify areas where we can be impactful, write and advocate for legislation, and plan campaigns! Sign up to be involved in the committee of your choice!
The Childcare Committee fights to ensure access to safe, affordable child care, as it continues to be a barrier to work among Black and other lower income workers. Campaigns include “Childcare for All” and the “Child Tax Credit”.
Day Without Childcare 2023
Workers Center for Racial Justice alongside Community Change Action, child care providers, parents, and families across the country are taking action on Monday, May 8th 2023 for the annual Day Without Childcare.
Our demands include:
1) An equitable child care system, built on racial and gender justice
2) Thriving wages for child care providers
3) Affordable child care for all families
To bring awareness to our demands we're asking supporters to take action with us on Monday, May 8th by using our digital toolkit. Please choose any of our photos to share with your personal social media accounts!
Tips for sharing:
- Use the hashtag, #DayWithoutChildcare
- Tag WCRJ; instagram @c4racialjustice, facebook @WorkersCenterforRacialJustice, and twitter @C4RacialJustice
- Tag parents and childcare providers
Committee members are expected to attend monthly meetings and participate in actions. We equip our members with the tools necessary to advance our work through leadership development training, and consciousness-raising series. We must remember that only WE are invested in seeing us free. This means that WE need to do the work required to see our dreams come to fruition.
Committee Expectations
Our vision for child care in Illinois and beyond.
The Workers Center for Racial Justice is leading a grassroots child care campaign to advance equity and opportunity for families and early childhood care professionals in Illinois and beyond.
We are mobilizing a powerful base of engaged parents and child care providers to fight for a universal child care system in which all parents have access to high quality affordable care, and the early childhood workforce is fairly compensated with equitable access to professional accreditation and career growth opportunities. In the upcoming legislative session, WCRJ is championing the following policy priorities:
01
Expand access to affordable child care for Illinois families.
WCRJ will champion a state level policy to raise the eligibility threshold for Illinois’ Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and support economic mobility for working families by eliminating the child care benefit cliff.
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02
Pilot a model of child care to meet the needs of working families.
WCRJ will advocate for legislation to pilot a child care program with supportive services and flexible operating hours to accommodate parents who work outside of traditional business hours.
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03
Champion equitable working conditions for child care workers.
WCRJ will fight to improve wages and benefits for early childhood professionals and promote racially equitable access to accreditation and career advancement opportunities.
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04
Demand robust federal investment in the national child care system.
WCRJ will mobilize our grassroots base to demand that Illinois’ congressional delegation prioritize $400 billion in investment in early childhood care.