“Breaking the Health-Poverty Cycle: The Urgent Need for Paid Family and Medical Leave in Virginia” Policy Brief
August 15, 2024
In Virginia, child care is not just a service but a vital component of our social structure that enables parents to actively participate in the workforce. Shockingly, 74% of the state’s child care centers currently grapple with staffing shortages, creating a significant hurdle for families seeking reliable care options. The repercussions of this issue are substantial, with 68% of parents finding themselves unable to work due to the unavailability of affordable child care.
Investments in early care and education yield significant returns for children, families, workers, and the economy at large. Yet, despite the collective efforts of parents, caregivers, professionals, and schools to contribute to children’s school readiness, existing systems are fragmented, failing to provide sufficient opportunities for all children to thrive. In fact, 42% of Virginia’s kindergarteners started the 2021 school year lacking foundational skills, underscoring the need for robust support in the early years.
The backbone of early childhood education faces its own set of challenges. This undervalued and underpaid field, disproportionately composed of women of color, struggles to provide educators with living wages. As a result, the field grapples with retention issues, hindering its ability to offer consistent, high-quality care and education to young learners. All funding listed is for fiscal year 2025 – 2026.
Key Legislative Outcomes for Early Childhood Education in 2024
The 2024 legislative session marked a pivotal moment for early care and education in Virginia with the unveiling of the Governor’s Proposed Biennial Budget. This budget, signed this summer, reflects a landmark investment in the future of Virginia’s children, addressing critical needs within the early childhood education system.
Celebrating Progress
To commemorate these monumental strides, Voices for Virginia’s Children, along with our partners, hosted a celebratory pep rally event this past July. This event brought together advocates, policymakers, educators, and families to recognize the progress made and to energize our collective efforts for the future.
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What’s Next?
As we look forward, Voices for Virginia’s Children is working in partnership with the Virginia Promise Partnership to develop a new policy roadmap for early care and education in Virginia. Our focus will be on prioritizing the compensation of the early childhood workforce, who are the backbone of this critical field, and supporting middle-income earners who often find themselves struggling to afford quality care. This roadmap will guide our advocacy and ensure that all children in Virginia have access to the resources they need to thrive.
Stay tuned as we continue to champion the needs of Virginia’s youngest learners and their families. Together, we can build a future where every child has the opportunity to succeed.
August 15, 2024
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