Sinéad Gibney’s Post

Today, we’re joining Community Change Action for the 3rd Annual #DayWithoutChildCare! We’re coming together to ensure our child care community has:  ✅ Thriving wages for early childhood educators ✅ Affordable care for all families who need it ✅ A childcare system built on racial and gender equity ✅ An expanded, inclusive child tax credit We know that when it comes to children, it truly takes a village. Without livable wages for child care workers, there’s a population being left out of the workforce and that’s not okay. Let’s ensure workers and families are able to thrive. https://bit.ly/dwocc24-cca #DWOCC24

It is time to intentionally (re)examine the role of the Judiciary (and Justice sector actors) in supporting County-level childcare reform in Kenya. The need for Court User Committees (CUCs) at County, Sub County and Court level to be at the centre of the Alternative Family Care discourse in place of institutional care cannot be overemphasized. It is encouraging to see the recently launched Child Justice Strategy 2023-2030 and the draft judiciary rules under the Children Act 2022 embrace this outlook. However, it is also discomforting that, according to the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) 2021-2022 Annual report, only 7 CUCs in Kenya are specifically "dealing with child justice". This needs to change. This week, I have had the privilege of participating in this kind of timely discussion with the Murang'a County CUC. We all have a role to play in bringing all County level Justice sector actors into the mainstream child rights programming and childcare reform in particular.

Today, we’re joining @commchangeact for the 3rd Annual #DayWithoutChildCare! We’re coming together to ensure our child care community has: ✅ Thriving wages for early childhood educators ✅ Affordable care for all families who need it ✅ A childcare system built on racial and gender equity ✅ An expanded, inclusive child tax credit We know that when it comes to children, it truly takes a village. Without livable wages for child care workers, there’s a population being left out of the workforce and that’s not okay. Let’s ensure workers and families are able to thrive. https://bit.ly/dwocc24-cca #DWOCC24

Childcare plays an invaluable role in supporting lone parents as it can provide a safe, nurturing environment for their children whilst they are at work. Removing this barrier to employment helps promote sustainability within employment, confidence, and self-sufficiency.' This #singleparentsweek, Lyndsey from our Lone Parents, Poverty, and Work Project shares her blog on one of the main barriers lone parents face. https://lnkd.in/eD7upbU5

Quality childcare is becoming cost prohibitive to families, leading to people leaving the workforce to stay home and care for their children. Other states have solved this problem but NYS continues to put the burden on the parents. Please take 30 seconds to send a message to your legislators using the link below. Tell them to prioritize child care in the budget this year! https://lnkd.in/gtbCxtTM

How can we ensure that all New Yorkers, especially those experiencing homelessness, can access childcare that enables parents to work, thrive, and provide for their families? More extended-day seats in 3-K and 4-K programs! Learn more in our report, Leaps and Hurdles: https://lnkd.in/eysXatTY #EarlyEd #EarlyEducation #NYC #Homelessness #LeapsandHurdles

Guardians of Innocence: Nurturing Empowerment through Good Touch and Bad Touch Awareness! In a world where knowledge is power, it's crucial to educate ourselves and our children about the concept of Good Touch and Bad Touch. 🤝✋ Good Touch: It's all about safe, loving, and appropriate physical contact, like hugs, handshakes, and high-fives. It promotes feelings of comfort and trust. 💖 Bad Touch: On the other hand, refers to any physical contact that makes you feel uncomfortable, scared, or violated. It's essential to recognize and speak up about such instances. 🚫🤐 Let's spread awareness, foster open conversations, and create a safe environment for all. Together, we can protect our children and empower them with the knowledge they need! #GoodTouchBadTouch #ChildSafety #ChildProtection #EducateEmpowerProtect #ProtectOurChildren #SafetyFirst #SpeakUp #ChildSafetyMatters #AwarenessIsKey #ParentingTips #SafeChildhood #EndChildAbuse #SpeakOut #SafeHugs #EmpowermentThroughEducation #ProtectingOurFuture #ConsentMatters #KnowledgeIsProtection #SupportingKids #TogetherWeCan #NoToAbuse #CreatingSafeSpaces #PreventionIsKey #RaiseAwareness #ChildAdvocacy #StrongerTogether #ChildRights #GyanodayImpact

💡 There’s a critical need for change in the childcare industry. Dorian Warren, co-president of Community Change, discusses this need and rectifying related injustices in "To Abolish Poverty, We Need a Fully Funded, 21st-Century Child Care System," a new blog post for the Foundation for Child Development's Social Justice for Young Children Conversation Series. https://bit.ly/3whPAVI #CareCantWait #EconomicJustice #FCDConversationSeries

“In Austin, Texas, you have to have about an income of $140,000 a year to be able to afford high-quality care. If you add on systemic racism…families of color are disproportionately impacted by poverty.” ICYMI: Dr. Choquette Hamilton, CEO and Founder of RISE, spoke to Finland’s news program “MTV Uutiset” about the staggering cost of childcare in the United States. As Dr. Hamilton says in this segment, the high-quality childcare that all families deserve access to is already out of reach for many in the middle class, much less households with lower incomes. At RISE, we are working towards a future where high-quality, anti-racist, play-based early childhood education is available to all, including—and especially—our families from marginalized communities. What is the status of childcare costs in your community? How have stakeholders been approaching the issue? You can watch the entire video here: https://lnkd.in/gjrXwccF

The Real Challenges with Child Care in America. As an economic developer, I would state that child care was an economic development issue and the main challenge was affordability. Child care costs take money out of the pockets of workers and at the same time is essential for a sustainable workforce. We must find innovative solutions that will provide quality yet affordable child care. Instead, my last community focused on increasing the number of providers while cost continued to escalate. We must break out of the stagnant thought about child care and take the risk for innovative solutions.