PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
September 21, 2015
Contact:
Blanca Gallegos, (213) 500-9594
Terry Carter, (213) 700-5617
LOS ANGELES—The child care providers, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, classroom assistants preschool teachers and other dedicated education workers of SEIU Local 99 are the proud sponsors of The Wave 94.7 FM’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, “Making Waves.”
SEIU Local 99 members will use this unique opportunity to connect the radio station’s listeners who need affordable, high quality child care with union child care providers. Ads running throughout the month will direct listeners to www.unionchildcare.org. Additional spots will make sure other area child care providers learn about this opportunity to reach new client families.
Studies show that by age two, Latino toddlers have already fallen behind white peers in language development. As the nation celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, SEIU Local 99 child care providers want to highlight how their work is closing this achievement gap for the children in their care. Children who receive high quality child care are more likely to graduate high school and enroll in college, find and keep employment, and own their own home. They are less likely to repeat a grade, need special education, get arrested or incarcerated, or use public assistance.
But quality child care programs are out of reach for many families.
“Child care costs are skyrocketing. It’s even out of reach for families with good salaries. Every family should have a chance to give their child a good early start,” said SEIU Executive Director Max Arias. “To make that a reality, we’re working hard to expand access for working families, raise child care quality, improve working conditions for providers and bring supports to working parents who want to be more involved in their child’s early learning.”
“I’m excited about this special month. It celebrates my Guatemalan roots and it lets us tell the community that union child care providers are right next door,” said Marta Delgado, a child care provider in Long Beach and Executive Board Member of SEIU Local 99. “All month long we’ll be letting parents know about our quality daycares while at the same time raising awareness about the need to invest in our children, our future. It’s not just an important community issue. It’s getting national attention as more and more of our leaders in Washington, D.C., are talking about how important high quality child care is for children, parents and the economy. When child care costs more than college tuition, something must change.”
One million California children are locked out of quality child care. Without high quality early learning, disadvantaged children are:
- 50% more likely to be placed in special education;
- 70% more likely to be arrested for violent crime;
- 60% more likely to never attend college;
- 40% more likely to become a teen parent.
“We look forward to joining The Wave in honoring some truly remarkable Angelinos this month,” said Tonia McMillian, a child care provider from Bellflower and Treasurer of SEIU Local 99. “These women and men are leading the whole country with their vision for investing in and protecting children. They are true partners with us as we fiercely advocate for our children and work together to create safe, diverse communities we can be proud of. As a leader in my union and chair of our African American Caucus, I’m excited by opportunities like Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate our roots, faith, families and traditions—all the threads that, when woven together, make us a strong union.”
“My mom, a hard-working immigrant with little formal education, often had no choice but to leave us home alone as she worked. That’s why I fought to expand access to quality child care for California’s working families,” said California Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León, the first Latino to hold that position in over 130 years and one of the The Wave 94.7 FM’s honorees during this month long celebration. “And while I pushed in the California Legislature, SEIU Local 99 child care providers and their client families came to rally in support of these important changes. These women do some of the state’s hardest work and they are raising the child care profession as they help raise California.”
“I applaud the child care providers of SEIU Local 99 for their efforts to increase access to early learning for our communities’ working parents. A strong early start is the foundation children need to make it to college,” said InnerCity Struggle Executive Director Maria Brenes, a Harvard graduate leading the community in campaigns to bring college prep courses to East L.A. schools, end unfair suspension policies in school discipline and win new schools to alleviate overcrowding. Ms. Brenes is also being honored this month by The Wave 94.7 FM.
“As we look forward to 2016 when America will choose a new President, it’s time to make sure our future leaders understand that the lack of affordable child care options is a national crisis that destabilizes families, prevents the child care workforce from exiting poverty and keeps our children divided by race, language and parents’ incomes,” said Arias. “We have a visionary plan to make high-quality, flexible care more affordable and accessible for all families. This registry is one way to do some of that work at the local level right here in our neighborhoods.”
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SEIU Local 99 represents employees in public and non-public organizations in early education, child care, K-12, and community college levels. SEIU Local 99 members are: Teacher’s Assistants, Playground Workers, Special Education Assistants, Bus Drivers, Gardeners, Custodians, Cafeteria Workers, Maintenance Workers, Family Service Workers, Child Care Providers and others working in schools, colleges and administrative offices throughout Southern California.
