Parents and advocates shared concerns and challenges with the Congresswoman who
vowed to champion mandatory investments in child care at the federal level
SALEM, OR — On Wednesday, July 17, more than a dozen parents, caregivers, and advocates gathered at Saint Mark Lutheran Church in downtown Salem. Family Forward Oregon Executive Director, Candice Vickers, kicked off the roundtable saying, “Child care is part of our essential infrastructure—just like roads, bridges, public schools, and libraries. But our current child care system isn’t funded like other infrastructure, instead relying on parents and providers to shoulder the cost of this public service. This has resulted in a broken system.”
Following Vickers, PCUN Executive Director Reyna Lopez shared her personal story about navigating an insufficient child care system with a young child. “We’re really just trying to piece it together to find what’s right for us. For many families, especially the families that PCUN represents, sometimes it means bringing their kids to work with them because they can’t afford childcare. This cannot continue to be reality in America, the richest country in the world. We need significant, sustained, mandatory federal investments in child care and a mixed-delivery system that is not one-size-fits-all.”
Annel Palacios, mother of four and owner of Los Primos Tires and Wheels, shared her struggles with finding affordable child care that meets her family’s needs, often having to bring her children to work. Additionally, Palacios’ 2-year-old was just diagnosed with autism. “I have to figure out how I am going to get him the care he needs, run my business, and care for my other children. But I know my family are not the only ones. Every family I know is struggling to find and afford care. We really need Congress to invest in child care and for you, as our Congresswoman, to make child care a priority.”
Kim Sekishiro, mother of two and owner of Community Catalyst Fitness, echoed many of the same challenges. “I often have no choice but to bring my kids to work with me. When I have to do this, I can’t give myself fully to either my kids or my work. And I also know I am not the only business owner dealing struggling in our child care crisis. Nearly every other woman business owner I know has to bring their kids to work because they can’t afford child care.”
Christel Allen with the Child Care for Every Family Network closed with an ask to Congresswoman Salinas. “By transitioning federal child care funding away from block grants to mandatory investments, not only would the ERDC waitlist be eliminated, but every eligible Oregon family would have access to quality affordable child care. A change like this would be transformative for families — is this a change you would be willing to champion in Congress?”
To that, a moved Congresswoman Salinas gave an enthusiastic “Yes, yes, yes! This is what we need to be talking about. It’s foundational to finish recovering from COVID to give working families a little bit of breathing room to make sure they can stay in business. We’re not talking about giving people a handout, we’re talking about giving people the tools to thrive.”
Find photos from Wednesday’s roundtable here.
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ABOUT FAMILY FORWARD
Family Forward is a feminist organization committed to racial, gender, and economic justice. We envision Oregon as a place where the unpaid and underpaid labor of caregiving is seen and valued, and the intersectional needs of caregivers are brought to the forefront of our societal systems, through the fulfillment of their importance, agency, and power. Learn more and get involved at FamilyForward.org.
Inquiries: Ashley Mumm, ashley@familyforward.org, 503.567.6551