May 13, 2016—Last year, child care providers, Head Start teachers and parents—including our own SEIU Local 99 Executive Board Member, Head Start Teacher Claudia Iraheta—sat down with Hillary Clinton in Chicago to talk about the need for meaningful, effective investment in our country’s early education system…including worthy wages for those of us caring for and preparing our littlest learners for success in school.
Our incredible work has paid off: Earlier this week, Secretary Clinton unveiled an ambitious child care reform proposal which seeks to make child care more affordable for working parents while boosting pay for child care workers. This proposal builds on Clinton’s Care Workers Initiative which would improve rates and provide child care workers with an opportunity to come together and make their voices heard in support of a stronger system.
This is what Hillary Clinton tweeted after meeting with us last year in Chicago.
Learn more about this historic face-to-face meeting with 2016 Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.
We need a “RAISE!”
Specifically, her proposal calls for:
- Support for states and local communities through the Respect And Increased Salaries for Early Childhood Educators (RAISE) initiative to increase the compensation of child care workers and provide equity with Kindergarten teachers by investing in educational opportunities, career ladders and professional salaries.
- Ensuring that no family pays more than 10% of its income on child care expenses.
- Significantly increasing the federal government’s investment in child care and providing tax relief to working families.
- Doubling investments in evidence-based home visiting initiatives.
…and we need to push harder here in California
Today, Governor Brown released his most recent budget proposal for next year…and unfortunately he is not on the same page as Secretary Clinton.
His proposal ignores the poverty-busting potential of early education and care. He includes no additional investment, even though hundreds of thousands of California families are locked out or paying 50%+ of their income on child care and early care and education providers are earning poverty wages.
We will continue to push for our proposals, including 12-month eligibility that would lead to more stable child care for families and to establish the equivalent of a $15 wage so that those of us who help working parents to lift their families out of poverty can do the same for our own!
Add your voice!
Click here to sign up for action alerts with our statewide coaltion: Raising California Together.
May 23 is the last day to register to VOTE in the June 7th Primary Elections.There’s still time to register online. Click here to register to today. …and become a Permanent Absentee Voter: When asked if you want to “Vote by Mail in All Elections”…be sure to answer “YES!” This way you won’t ever miss an election again! |
Click here for SEIU California’s legislative primary endorsements |
Click here to learn more about Hillary for President |
Click here to find your Polling Place |
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