CCYP on the state of childcare education on Cape Cod

CCYP Chief Executive Officer Lauren Barker joined the Cape Women's Coalition recent luncheon on January 30th to discuss the current state of childcare education on Cape Cod. We were thrilled to be involved in this critical topic of discussion and shared our own findings on how accessible, attainable, quality child care from birth to school age is critical in retaining and attracting a vibrant workforce and to building an equitable, livable community for the young professionals, technical specialists, tradespeople, and public service workers who make our local economy run.

For those eager to get involved in the needed advocacy to ensure child care is accessible and attainable for young families on Cape Cod, be sure to review our Child Care Position Paper which outlines a series of solutions to increase access to quality child care on Cape Cod, mitigate the high cost of care for working families, and provide training and assistance for care providers seeking to own or sustain a child care career or business.

And for those who weren't able to join us, we want to ensure you are not only aware of the information and data that was shared, but also involved in this critical conversation. Below are the resources Lauren shared, including the findings of our 2018 Community Needs Survey. Our live stream of Lauren's opening remarks on this issue can also be found here on Facebook.

And don't forget: we want to hear directly from you! This is a community-wide issue that can only be solved together.

• Young working age adults with children are drowning. They are paying $1200 a month for 3 days a week of child care, or as much as $2500 for full time care - the same as a mortgage for a 400k or 500k house.
• Young families on Cape Cod are juggling full time (or more) work hours with child care that starts at 9 and ends at 2, a schedule that is nearly impossible to work into a full time schedule.
• Young adults with children are experiencing a crisis in lost work time and pay every time their child care is off for a holiday or a child gets sick and can’t attend school.
• Parents are getting on wait lists for infant care the minute they get pregnant and yet are still being told there’s a year and a half wait for a spot.
• The mentality that there are no children or families on Cape Cod, that these residents don’t want to be here or start families on the Cape, and therefore we don’t need to invest in them, is simply not true.
• Accessible, attainable, quality child care from birth to school age is critical retaining and attracting a vibrant workforce as well as to building an equitable, livable community for the young professionals, technical specialists, tradespeople, and public service workers who make our local economy run.
• This issue is beyond child care alone. More support is needed for young people and families in general within our community. Towns must invest in their recreational programs, their parks, their libraries, and their schools. Towns need to provide child care for town meeting and make it easier for young people to have their voices included in conversations on issues that directly impact them.
• Parents on Cape Cod need to send a message that young people and families are a priority here. That quality of life, community vibrancy, and age diversity matter to the Cape.
• If this issue has affected you, speak up. Talk to your town officials, select board, and school committee. If you aren’t affected but want to help, use your voice to make a difference for someone else.