Join us TODAY: Day of Action for Child Care!

Hi Ashley, New York’s child care system is facing a moment of reckoning. The pandemic proved beyond doubt the great need that exists for more accessible quality child care, and how difficult it is to balance work with the constant monitoring and supervision that children need. Families are struggling to find affordable, accessible care for their children, while providers — many of them women of color — unable to earn a living wage, are leaving the profession or closing their doors. Today, we're standing with parents and child care educators in cities around New York State calling for a commitment from Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to include $5 billion in this year’s state budget to help create a universal child care system for New York’s families. Show your support for universal child care with the toolkit below! Join AQE for the Child Care Day of Action TODAY at 1 PM! VIEW THE ACTION TOOLKIT Quick action links to Tweet below STEP 1: Tell Your State Legislators: We Need #NYSUniversalChildCare   Calls and emails to your elected representatives work! They need to hear from us — their constituents — that we demand a $5 billion investment in this year’s state budget in a universal child care system for our New York.   Take a minute to email your state leaders by clicking the button below. EMAIL YOUR STATE REPS STEP 2: Post a photo with your child (or of yourself!)   Take a picture holding a sign saying “NY Needs Universal Child Care” and post it to your social media accounts with the hashtag #NYSUniversalChildCare to help put pressure on leaders!   Use the graphics and sample posts below to either 1) a photo of yourself and your child or 2) a childhood photo of yourself and why you support universal child care in New York State. Check out the example post below from Stevie Vargas, AQE's Campaign Coordinator, with her son and as a child! Example post w/kids:   "My child and I support #NYSUniversalChildcare because it will give children across the state access to in person play and allow their parents to work and support their families." Example post w/o kids:   “Say hi to young [Insert your name]. They attended childcare and they are wondering when NYS is going to invest 5 billion for #NYSUniversalChildcare so that every child has access to care & culturally responsive programs that makes them feel seen & safe.” Graphics   Click below to download graphics for social media to your computer! DOWNLOAD GRAPHICS ...Or tap and hold on the thumbnails below to save them to your phone: Sample Tweets   Posting is easy — simply tap "click to Tweet" and it will automatically format the Tweet to post from your account (you can edit it before it posts). You can find sample posts formatted for Facebook and Instagram here.   Click to Tweet: I demand #NYSUniversalChildCare NOW because when we invest in child care, we create a state where our families and communities can thrive, not just survive. @GovKathyHochul this is the moment to make universal child care a reality! https://bit.ly/35G6Tlz Click to Tweet: I'm a parent/provider/worker/community member & I support #NYSUniversalChildCare b/c the child care crisis is forcing providers to close their doors, educators to leave the field & parents to quit their jobs. @GovKathyHochul supporting families & communities means investing $5B in universal child care Click to Tweet: NYS has the financial means & public support to make #NYSUniversalChildCare a reality for every family. We are calling on @GovKathyHochul to make a bold investment of $5B so we can create healthy families, safer communities & a strong NY! https://bit.ly/3AW5z9F Click to Tweet: Access to child care is an economic issue, an education issue and an issue that affects every community throughout NYS. We need @GovKathyHochul and legislative leaders to BE BOLD & make a $5B investment to lay the foundation for #NYSUniversalChildCare https://bit.ly/3shN7V0 Click to Tweet: We demand #NYSUniversalChildCare because 64% of New Yorkers live in a “child care desert,” where there are either no available child care providers or far too few providers to meet families’ needs. @GovKathyHocul the time to make universal child care a reality is NOW. Click to Tweet: We need #NYSUniversalChildCare because the majority of early educators are women of color & immigrant women who are trapped in poverty because they do not receive adequate wages or benefits. @GovKathyHochul, truly supporting NYers means investing $5B for universal child care! Click to Tweet: We need  #NYSUniversalChildCare because most early educators are women of color & immigrant women who do not have adequate wages or benefits. @GovKathyHochul we need an investment of $5B to stop the cycle of trapping Black & Brown women in poverty despite the critical work they do Click to Tweet: We must respect those who provide child care as skilled professionals & ensure they are paid thriving wages & have benefits. @GovKathyHochul communities can’t continue to wait for child care. Invest $5B now!  Click to Tweet: NYS child care is in crisis. Families need access to a universal system where early educators are paid not just living wages, but thriving wages for the critical services they provide. @GovKathyHochul the time to invest in #NYSUniversalChildCare is NOW! https://bit.ly/35G6Tlz     Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram AQENY.org 518-432-5315 D O N A T E

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