Home Grown

National Black Child Development Institute VP of Policy & Research, Alycia Hardy, MPA, emphasizes the need to move beyond one-size-fits-all child care policies that overlook the strengths of Black communities. Historically, Black families have created their own solutions, from home-based child care to community-driven networks of care. Yet, racism continues to undervalue and underpay early childhood educators, particularly Black women. It’s time for policies that recognize, trust, and invest in Black communities, ensuring that all children receive the culturally affirming care and education they deserve. Read more in this powerful feature with Home Grown entitled Uplifting Community Cultural Wealth in Black Communities: https://lnkd.in/dVvpFNCC #NBCDI #EarlyChildhoodEducation #PolicyMatters #CommunityCulturalWealth #BlackExcellence

It’s National CACFP Week! The Child and Adult Care Food Program serves over 4.5 million children and adults healthy meals and snacks daily. Participation in CACFP helps providers and caregivers serve healthy and nutritious foods and reassures parents that the providers’ top priority is the well-being and development of the children in their care. Learn more about CACFP here: https://www.cacfp.org/

Our latest analysis shows that 5 years after the onset of the pandemic, the child care sector continues to face a long-standing jobs crisis. In the last 6 months, national employment has hovered around 1.1 million. https://lnkd.in/gSyfRPyX The numbers suggest that ARPA funding, along with continued support from states and localities after its expiration, helped to stabilize the field and sustain job creation. With the proposed federal funding freeze on safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP that?43 percent of child care families rely on, and?uncertainty surrounding Head Start?and other publicly funded child care programs, the impact on child care jobs remains uncertain.

?? Women Working in Home-based Child Care Are Experiencing the Worst of Pay Inequity "Home-based providers often work an average of 10 to 12 hours each day caring for children... In addition to this, many of these women have children of their own and have other personal responsibilities that come with the unequal division of labor during the hidden second shift at home." Read?? https://lnkd.in/e94299Wx

??Deadline approaching! ???Mark your calendars and spread the word! Do you know Philadelphia grassroots groups or movement leaders working to improve early childhood systems? Get the word out today about this organizing grant opportunity from PHP grantee partner, Bread & Roses Community Fund! The Parents & Caregivers Organizing Fund will support communities organizing to advance economic justice and strengthen coordinated ecosystems of support for families with children?from birth to age five. Proposals will be reviewed by a Community Grantmaking Committee composed primarily of parents and caregivers. Apply by March 21! Visit https://lnkd.in/eHsZ98qc to learn more today! #partnerspotlight #healthequity #nonprofitimpact #grantsuccess #communityhealth #philadelphia

#ICYMI - Uplifting Community Cultural Wealth in Black Communities Historically, in order to survive, communities that are accustomed to being left out of policy decisions and resource allocations often create solutions of their own. "We need to move away from one-size-fits-all policies and ideas, and move toward trusting, particularly Black, communities with identifying what their needs are around their unique experiences, in the context of who they are." - Alycia Hardy, National Black Child Development Institute Read more: https://lnkd.in/dVvpFNCC

Do you know what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows up at your home or child care facility? Now more than ever, both families and caregivers need to be informed! ????Join a FREE bilingual (English & Spanish, other languages available upon request) virtual training on how to protect yourself, your children, and your community. ?? Date: Tuesday March 11, 2025 ? Time: 7:00pm ET / 6:00pm CT / 5:00pm MT / 4:00pm PT ?? Where: Zoom (link provided upon registration) NOTE: to protect participant’s identity due to the sensitive nature of the topic, the training will be held via Zoom webinar meaning that the participant’s name and video will not be displayed for everyone on the call to see. Register today: https://lnkd.in/dmwsh7_F

Dr. Evangeline Ward is acknowledged as one of the architects of early education for Black children. She led discussions and research that challenged people’s perceptions of how to treat and teach children in the early years. In 1969, she helped found the Black Caucus of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at a NAEYC conference in Salt Lake City after Black people and other people of color were openly discouraged from attending the conference. NAEYC later decided that it would never hold its conference in a city where people of color experienced such blatant discrimination. Dr. Ward went on to serve as NAEYC’s president. #BlackHistoryMonth

Join the Center for Law and Social Policy - CLASP and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) for a one-hour webinar to learn how child care and early education providers can protect their programs from immigration enforcement. This webinar will cover the impact of immigration policies on access to early childhood programs, including the removal of the protected areas/sensitive locations policy, and strategies for ensuring immigrant families feel safe in your facilities and programs. The webinar will be held in both English and Spanish. Register: https://lnkd.in/eGTuKR4V

Inspired by the birth of her first son, Selena Sloan Butler pursued education upon realizing she could not find a kindergarten for Black children near her home in Atlanta. Butler started a kindergarten in her living room until her son enrolled in public school, when she then formed the nation’s first Black parent-teacher association. The success of Butler’s programs led to the creation of the Georgia Colored Parent-Teacher Association and later the National Colored Congress of Parents and Teachers. Butler went on to work on the White House Conference on Child Health and Protection and with the Nursery School Association in England. In 1970, the NCCPT merged with its white counterpart to form an integrated National Congress of Parents and Teachers, of which Butler is recognized as a co-founder. #BlackHistoryMonth #ChildCare