WE NEED YOUR HELP KEEPING CHILD CARE ON THE MAP!
|
|
|
|
With Governor Glenn Youngkin scheduled to release his proposed state budget on December 15 and the 2023 General Assembly session set to convene January 11, the Virginia Promise Partnership is working hard to rally our incredible advocates and raise up the voices of parents, providers, and supporters from across the Commonwealth to keep child care on the map! |
| |
As we gear up for the fast-approaching legislation session, we need your help! We are excited to share two upcoming advocacy opportunities to help us underscore the need to invest in Virginia's child care system: - Thursday, December 8 - 2023 General Assembly Virtual Advocacy Training
- Join members of the Virginia Promise Partnership for an advocacy training to prepare for the 2023 General Assembly session. We're offering two different sessions - 1:00-2:00pm and 8:00-9:00pm. Sign up TODAY through the buttons below!
-
Tuesday, January 24 - Virginia Promise Partnership Lobby Day
- Save the date for our second annual Virginia Promise Partnership Lobby Day! Participants will have the chance to hear from decisionmakers, meet fellow advocates, and share their child care stories. More details to come!
|
SIGN UP FOR OUR VIRTUAL ADVOCACY TRAINING BELOW! |
NEW SURVEY REVEALS IMPACT OF CHILD CARE ON VIRGINIA BUSINESSES |
|
|
|
In Virginia and across the country, we continue to see how essential child care is for working families and how it directly affects our workforce and economy. To better understand how childcare challenges affect Virginia businesses and to inform potential solutions for families and employers, Partnership members the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond conducted a statewide survey in late August 2022 with hundreds of employers responding, representing a range of industries, sizes of companies, and rural and urban communities.
|
|
|
Results showed that child care issues continue to impact Virginia businesses: -
50 percent of respondents indicated that childcare issues experienced by their employees are negatively impacting their business.
- Nearly all employers reported difficulty in recruiting (94%) and retaining (87%) employees.
-
76 percent of employers reported that child care availability impacted recruitment and retention.
- Availability of child care was the top concern among respondents in rural areas, whereas affordability was the top concern for respondents in urban areas.
- 78 percent of employers reported that employees frequently or occasionally miss work due to childcare issues.
-
Nearly 40 percent reported that employees are leaving their positions due to childcare issues.
- Nearly two-thirds of respondents thought it was very important that the state make investments and enact childcare policies to increase childcare supply, quality, and affordability and support the childcare workforce.
Learn more about the survey results through the links below: |
CAPITAL ONE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM SUPPORTS RICHMOND-AREA PROVIDERS |
|
|
This month, seven Richmond-area family home child care providers were selected to participate in Capital One’s Grow@1717 accelerator program. The 12-week small business program aims to support business stabilization and growth with assessments, workshops, and teaching new skills.
“We know that family day home care is the most common form of child care in this country but, oftentimes, home-based providers are the most overlooked for support as small-business owners.” said Toria Edmonds-Howell, community engagement manager for Capital One’s 1717 Innovation Center. "The Grow @1717 program was designed to meet emerging needs within our region, and as Richmond childcare providers continue to experience the impacts of the pandemic, we want to help.” |
| |
|
DeShonda Jennings, Promise Advocate and owner of DJ Shining Stars preschool in Chesterfield, was one of seven providers selected to participate in the program. “This is a professional business, but sometimes we’re not looked at as a small business because it’s run out of our home,” Jennings said. Virginia’s leaders - in government, business, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector alike - must recognize the critical role of child care and take action to support Virginia's early learning system. Thank you to Capital One for taking steps to support these important small businesses!
Read more on the program and participating child care providers from The Richmond Time-Dispatch's Colleen Curran here. |
|
|
This month, Partnership representatives were thrilled to attend the Alliance For Early Success' (AES) Alliance CONNECT22 to connect with and learn from early childhood advocates from across the country. Virginia was selected by AES in July 2021 as one of only six state teams to participate in Child Care NEXT, an initiative aiming to support long-term campaigns to achieve transformative change in child care policies and funding.
|
BECOME A PROMISE ADVOCATE! |
If you haven't already, please consider joining us as a Promise Advocate - your efforts can create lasting change for our children and communities! Already joined? We need your help spreading the word. Please share with a family member, friend or colleague! For details, visit vapromisepartnership.com! |
You are receiving this email as a member of the Virginia Promise Advocate community. Virginia Promise Partnership
1703 North Parham Road, Suite 110
Richmond, VA 23229
United States
|
If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please (Unsubscribing is not supported in previews). |
|
|
|
