It’s an exciting time for California’s child care providers!
Big changes are on the horizon, and more and more providers are coming together to join our movement to make California’s child care system work better for providers and the families we serve. We have a new governor, Gavin Newson, who has pledged $500 million to expand subsidized child care and invest in training and education for providers. And we have a movement that’s building more momentum every day.
Having a new governor who wants to fix childcare while more Californians are beginning to understand how broken the system is makes for a “strike while the iron is hot” moment for our movement. That’s why are taking this opportunity to make our union, Child Care Providers United (CCPU-UDW), stronger than ever. In February, we embarked on an historic campaign to reach out to providers across the state—one of the largest organizing campaigns in the country—and we added thousands of family child care providers to our movement.
Having conversation provider-to-provider, we are building our list of priorities. And, by combining into a single voice, we will be heard when we tell the governor and other lawmakers things like:
- We need to get paid on time
- We need a better licensing system
- We need to know right away when a child loses eligibility
And, did we mention, “WE NEED TO GET PAID ON TIME!”
Because Governor Newsom has shown more support for our union than the previous governor, Jerry Brown, we are closer than ever to winning our collective bargaining rights. We are sponsoring a new bill, AB 378 (Limon), that would grant us the right to sit across the table from the state as a union and negotiate what we need to do our jobs, run our businesses and protect the children in our care. We will need to continue to build our union power to pass AB 378—and ensure that Governor Newsom will sign it.
For our members, joining a union and winning collective bargaining rights is all about providers helping providers do the job we love.
“I love caring for children because I’m a mom myself,” said Muna Shagon, a child care provider for six children in San Diego County and a CCPU-UDW member. “Having a union means the state agencies can’t just do whatever they want. We are part of an organization that knows the rules and helps providers.”
By making childcare a priority in his first budget, Newsom is showing us that he’s ready to look for real solutions to California’s broken childcare system. And California’s family child care providers are ready to show him what those solutions are. Join us and help build a child care system that works for ALL Californians!
