Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Joins Growing Calls for a Universal, Equitable, and Flexible Child Care System
Boston, MA — Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) will join the Care That Works coalition to call for a universal child care system that benefits working families, low-income communities, and communities of color across the Commonwealth. Child care in Massachusetts is among the most expensive in the country and families were struggling long before the pandemic. Care That Works’ Pilot Program, launched in September 2020, seeks to bridge the gap for families in need of child care for nonstandard schedules: early morning, late evening, overnight, and weekend.
What:
Family child care home visit: Congresswoman Pressley visits Maria Estevez’s Family Child Care, which is a part of the Care That Works Pilot.
Who:
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Darlene Lombos, Greater Boston Labor Council
Sarah Jimenez, Community Labor United
Maria Estevez, Maria Estevez’s Family Child Care
Child care providers and caregivers
When: Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at 3 p.m.
Where: Maria Estevez’s Family Child Care
618 Beech Street, Roslindale, MA 02131
Why:
During the pandemic, Massachusetts saw hundreds of licensed family child care providers and center-based providers close permanently with little to no relief available until it was too late. But even before the pandemic, parents were struggling to find affordable, accessible child care. The lack of affordable, professional child care options for nonstandard schedules is a major gap in the system that hurts parents who work or seek work with those schedules.
The Care That Works’ Pilot connects families with family child care providers to accommodate nonstandard schedules, starting with hours as early as 5 a.m. and eventually expanding to other schedules.
“Our Pilot is the solution for hundreds of families in Boston. We’re able to connect parents with providers in their area who can provide care during the hours they most need it,” said Renee Dozier, Electrician and Business Agent, IBEW Local 103. “Ultimately, we need a universal child care system that removes barriers to providing child care for nonstandard schedules – one where safe, affordable care for nonstandard schedules isn’t a rare find for lucky parents but standard and available for every family that needs it.”
About Care That Works:
Care that Works is a campaign convened by Community Labor United that brings community-based organizations and labor unions together to confront the child care crisis in Massachusetts. Our coalition’s strength lies in joining the interests of child care providers and working families who both lose under an underfunded system. For more information, go to