Introducing CCYP's Child Care Position Paper
Introducing CCYP's Child Care Position Paper
Through our 2018 Community Needs Survey, we saw the issue of child care emerge as a critical need for young professionals on Cape Cod. This makes sense to us. As young workers put down roots, grow their careers, and start families, child and dependent care becomes an important factor to hold down a job, pursue opportunities, and generally make a life. If young parents can't find quality day care, Pre-K, or after school care options at a price they can afford, they may relocate to an area where child care is more accessible and attainable. But when young families move from our region, Cape Cod loses a vital piece of what makes our communities diverse, sustainable, and vibrant. Employers in our key economic sectors - like healthcare, hospitality, skilled trades, and banking - lose a pool of workers to fill their positions. And, perhaps most importantly, a new generation misses out on the opportunity to raise their families and live year-round in this amazing community.
In response to the growing need for child care providers and affordable, quality child care, the CCYP Board of Directors drafted and adopted an official policy position paper on the issue of child care in 2019. The Child Care Policy Position White Paper 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. All of the solutions presented in the paper are grounded in research and expert opinions from the Cape's leading child care advocate organizations and regional authorities. CCYP actively uses the Policy Position Paper as a framework for any child care-related policy and advocacy efforts undertaken by our organization. The full text of the white paper is included below, or you can download it as a PDF here.
Now it's your turn!
Check out our Child Care Resources page to learn more about support and resources available for young professionals looking for housing on Cape Cod. And read through our tips for civic engagement to learn how you can help make positive change on this issue!