Oregon Childcare Project launches effort to fix Oregon’s child care system, endorses 14 candidates and one ballot measure in the November 2020 election
In 2019, six organizations working for economic justice for BIPOC families were awarded $1 million to start working toward a solution to Oregon’s child care problem. Last week those organizations announced the candidates on the November 2020 ballot they think are best suited to champion the universal child care program they support during a virtual campaign kick-off event that over 40 parents, community leaders, and child care providers attended.
The Oregon Childcare Project is a coalition of six progressive, race/gender justice 501(c)4 organizations working to build a comprehensive child care system in Oregon. The coalition includes Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO); Family Forward Action; Oregon Futures Lab; PCUN; PAALF Action Fund; and Unite Oregon Action.
“We believe that those who are most affected by inequities are in the best position to offer solutions. This is especially key for addressing Oregon’s child care crisis, which has significant consequences for Black, Indigenous, and parents of color, ”says Joy Alise Davis, Executive Director of PAALF Action Fund.
COVID-19 has made clear what parents, families, and child care providers in Oregon have always known: our entire economy is dependent on a child care system that works—and Oregon’s child care system desperately needs to be rebuilt. Every county in Oregon is a child care desert for infant/toddler care. That means, even before COVID, there wasn’t enough child care available for the children who need care. The COVID crisis has only made that worse.
“The lack of public investment in a comprehensive child care system is a systemic problem rooted in racism, sexism, and the country’s history of depending on exploited care labor to make the rest of the economy work,” says Ana del Rocio, Executive Director of Oregon Futures Lab. “Child care used to be seen as a personal problem, but now we know better. Childcare is essential.”
The Oregon Childcare Project’s plan includes a targeted universal child care system that centers the needs of BIPOC mothers, providers and children. The plan additionally outlines that Oregon’s new child care system must:
be accountable to the community and co-governed by the people who use it
be informed by the different identities and needs of parents, providers, and children
be accessible for all families regardless of income, race, language, culture, geography or immigration status
value a diverse range of providers with fair compensation and benefits
support the healthy development of all Oregon’s children
be publicly, adequately and consistently funded
“Instead of trying to repair a clearly broken system, we’re thinking big and reimagining what we want a new and better child care system to look like,” says Andrea Paluso, Executive Director of Family Forward Action. “It’s really exciting.”
In addition to an outlined plan for the future of Oregon child care, the coalition also announced endorsements for 14 candidates and Measure 26-214, Multnomah County’s Preschool for All initiative, during its campaign kick-off.
“By electing BIPOC mothers, caregivers, and candidates who will prioritize the needs of our families, we can ensure that no decisions are made about us without us,” says Marchel Hirschfield, Political Director at APANO. “The candidates we’ve endorsed are from our communities. They face the same struggles we do. They will fight for what we need because it’s what they need, too.”
See the full list of endorsed candidates and view Oregon Childcare Project’s plan by visiting childcarefororegon.org/endorsements.
###