Children's Village's Ex. Dir. Mary Graham quoted in 'Chalkbeat' article "With inauguration, some hope for early child care in Philadelphia"

With inauguration, some hope for early child care in Philadelphia

By Melanie Bavaria Jan 20, 2021, Chalkbeat Philadelphia

Mary Graham remembers a few years ago when someone asked her why early childhood educators didn’t go on strike for a day to protest the industry’s low wages and reimbursement rates.

“We can’t do that. We can’t do that to working families. The country would fall apart if child care shut down,” she recalled saying, even if such a move would shed light on a chronically underfunded and underappreciated industry.

The coronavirus pandemic effectively did shut down much of the child care industry in Pennsylvania for several months starting in March, with devastating costs. Even as centers were allowed to open back up, enrollment has been down and the financial costs of doing business has increased with new health regulations. Widespread school closures, skyrocketing unemployment, disappearing child care centers, and prolonged lockdowns have made clear how crucial child care is to the economy.

The crisis has pushed child care to become a top policy issue, and President Joe Biden’s proposed massive relief package is evidence of a monumental shift, giving hope to an industry that has experienced a dreadful year. As such, for child care providers across Pennsylvania, Inauguration Day this year is about more than just a transfer of power.

Read the entire article here:
https://philadelphia.chalkbeat.org/2021/1/20/22241313/with-inauguration-some-hope-for-early-child-care-in-philadelphia