Transforming the Childcare Industry
United for Childcare is a multifaceted initiative to address the childcare crisis in our region, which impacts parents and children, providers, communities, and our economy.
The pandemic has revealed the extent of the childcare crisis in our country:
The lack of affordable, accessible childcare for parents
Gaps in the provision of early childhood education and resulting in learning gaps among young children
A national shortage of providers and staff
Wage inequities for those charged with caring for our children that impact families, employees and employers, and our economy
Our Goals:
- Expand access to enriching, quality education for young children, proven to lead to future academic and economic success
- Increase options for childcare that parents can afford and that is convenient located near their homes and workplaces
- Drive educational, economic, and racial equity and opportunity for children, parents, and childcare providers and staff
- Elevate the childcare profession at all levels, from staff to teachers to site owners
- Bolster the economy with new jobs and childcare sites to augment employee recruitment and retention efforts
Core Components:
- Establishing new United Way of Central Maryland’s Family Centers (currently two in Baltimore City and one in Howard County) that provide high quality, affordable, accessible childcare using innovative program and funding models that can be replicated by others
- Building collaboration and consensus among regional partners in the early care and education systems
- Identifying opportunities to introduce young people to career opportunities in the early childhood education profession
- Offering business support to childcare program operators
