Cheddar Up’s Post

The new Safety in Care report has shown an increase in children in the care of the state being harmed. When talking about kids in care, it's important to remember that these are children that the state has parental responsibility for. And as the state represents us, that means these are all of our kids. Whenever this conversation arises my concern is that our focus on OT and individual staff members distracts us from the wider issues contributing to children being unsafe and uncared for in the care system. The lives of these kids are touched by multiple agencies, communities, and organizations. Whenever we hear stories of children being harmed, there are often multiple intervention points where different choices could have been made to ensure those children's safety. One challenge we face as a community is that we are dealing with a poorly resourced social and community sector. Everyone is "busy". And when we're talking about the care of vulnerable children, "busy" can be dangerous. https://lnkd.in/ghXDGg-7 #ChildrenInCare #StateCare #ChildAbuse #YouthDevelopment

Currently only 2m of 12m eligible children in the US receive the child care subsidies due to them. In our new report, we set out a way for Federal Government and States to come together to show how this is entirely preventable. A dysfunctional marketplace, fractured federal and state-level administration, and ineffective policies prevent families accessing the support that is available to them, as well as putting pressure on child care providers to deliver for those who need it most. In our report, we argue for a strong federal-state partnership to deliver creative and lasting change. To back a test-and-learn approach to delivering new approaches, fixing a broken child care market & helping families and providers to give kids the best possible start in life. We would like to thank Child Care Aware of America and their colleagues at Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care and Child & Family Resources, Inc. for their partnership in this research, along with U.S. Digital Response, New America, and Code for America for their work in this area and support.

I love this. A #techforgood initiative that came to the conclusion that tech is NOT the answer. How? Basic human-centered discovery. "While this project originally sought to offer technology solutions, it quickly became clear through our research that the broader systemic challenges... outweighed the technology challenge. Consequently, we shifted from our original... approach of seeking technology solutions alone in favor of a discovery-oriented, iterative project that allowed us to consider the complex governance, policy, operational, market, and technical nuances each state faces." This is the heart of how we should approach solutioning for social impact. Not starting with a solution, but with truly understanding the barriers and challenges faced by real people in real situations, looking at all the possible ideas to address, then progressively testing and iterating toward an evidence-backed solution. And toss the ideas that don't work EARLY, before you've spent a year and a million dollars to build them. THIS is what it means to say "people are at the center of #humancentereddesign." Way to pivot, Beeck Center for Social Impact Innovation.

While we wait, let’s stay powerful and hopeful 🌅 Hoping we can expand this to other counties and states! In the meantime: 1. Take community action - Contact your local leaders and tell them your story. Let them know there are options like what’s happening in Park City. Bravely ask for change. 2. Take inner action - Foster hope through gratitude and reflecting on your ultimate WHY. Remembering the reason you do what you do will give you fuel to keep moving forward even in the face of challenge⛰️ “Everything is figureoutable” 💛 How are YOU staying powerful and hopeful 👇 comment below 👇

More forethought is definitely needed on facilities! Too often unappreciated is the need for policymakers to align standards between childcare and pre-K. When childcare facilities standards are too low for pre-K--for example, less square foot per child--then childcare providers can build or acquire facilities that do not allow them to participate in public pre-K.

“If you’re a parent today or if you are soon to be a parent today and you are facing the reality of trying to find and afford quality care you would probably say you feel a little bit in crisis,” says Sarah Rittling, the executive director of the First Five Years Fund, an organization that works on early learning and child care programs at the federal level. In the search to find high-quality early learning and care many parents feel overwhelmed. Our partners at First Five Years Fund are featured in a new article by Chicago Parent on how Chicagoland families can navigate the child care crisis. According to the Department of Health and Human Services for care to be affordable it must be no more than 7% of a family’s income. However, many families currently pay over 15%. A growing number of families, because of this, are opting to move to less expensive cities, live in close proximity to grandparents who can provide care and some are making the decision to leave the workforce all together. Read more insights and tips from early childhood experts on how parents across Chicagoland manage the challenges of the child care crisis: https://lnkd.in/g8cAkqbr

How important is your child’s education? Have you ever stopped to think about how many forces are working against your interests in your child’s success? The odds are staggering, however, they can be counterbalanced by the people banning together to identify and address the issues that plague us all, alike. Come on out and join this conversation and strategize with us to learn the next steps we must take to protect the future of our communities, our youth, our students, our schools.

A good, important read about the aspirations vs. realities of federal child care subsidies from my colleagues here at the Beeck Center for Social Impact Innovation:

Parents are about to need more support than ever. Pandemic-era child care support is set to end at the end of September, and this loss of support threatens millions of families and businesses. The projected impact of this cutoff for children, families and state economies will be felt in every state in the U.S. With parents projected to lose $9 billion in earnings due to leaving the workforce, employers have to act. At Cariloop, we're here to provide solutions and support that bridge the gap. How is your organization supporting employees caring for children? https://hubs.li/Q021hLBX0