Let’s Talk Parents — Poll
Posted: March 5th, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News, Survey | Tags: childcare, parents, poll, providers | No Comments »
The Top 5 Reasons Cutting Child Care in KY is Such a Bad Idea
Posted: February 13th, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News, Susan's Blog | Tags: advocacy, childcare, children, early childhood, employment, family, family childcare, parents, safety, skills, teachers | No Comments »
5. It’s hard to improve quality if child care programs can’t afford to stay open.
4. Thousands of child care staff will lose their jobs.
3. Good child care is all about school readiness.
2. 62% of parents with children under 5 are in the work force and need child care
1. KY kids deserve better
Susan A. Vessels
Executive Director
Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C)
Executive Director
Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C)
Child Care Cuts – Take Action Now!
Posted: February 7th, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, Event, News | Tags: advocacy, children, employment, family, family childcare, parents, providers | 4 Comments »|
Tell your legislator to keep KY families working |
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Congratulations! You’re making a difference! Over 1000 messages, hundreds of phone calls and hundreds of names on petitions have all been sent to the Governor regarding the impending $86 million cut to child care. Now that we have Frankfort’s attention, we need to move our message throughout the General Assembly and demand immediate action. If keeping citizens working is a priority of our elected officials, then the General Assembly and Governor Beshear must find the resources to protect that priority! Kentucky’s extremely fragile childcare system, like all small business, depends on a precarious balance of profit and loss, economic conditions, and a competitive marketplace. These 2,400 small businesses employ 12,500 people who earn an average wage of a little over $19,000. It also enables the parents of 65 percent of our children under the age of five to go to work every day. Not just low-income parents, all parents. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family services warns that these cuts will result in more parents out of work because they cannot afford child care. According to the Cabinet, the cuts could mean as many as 28,000 fewer children will be served each month. On Thursday, February 7 thousands of advocates will descend on the Capitol to meet with legislators and show their support for Kentucky’s children and families. On that day our message will be clear: Child care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for all working families. If you are interested in attending there is still time to register. If you are unable to attend please let your voice be heard by taking action and sending this message to your legislators. |
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Little Kids Shouldn’t Take the Big Cuts.
Posted: February 1st, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News | Tags: advocacy, children, early childhood, employment, family, parents | No Comments »Tell Frankfort To Rethink Cuts to Child Care.
Yesterday the Cabinet of Health and Human Services announced deep cuts in child care assistance which would take effect in April. Everyone knows parents with young children need child care in order to work. Kentucky’s economy is weak enough. Now is not the time to make it more difficult for parents to get and keep a job!
- Effective April 1, 2013 the state will not accept new applications from low income working families seeking assistance.
- Effective July 1, 2013 income eligibility for current participants will be dramatically reduced — in fact, families would have to live below the poverty line to receive assistance (i.e, low wage workers would no longer receive assistance).
Immediate action is needed! There is a direct connection between parents’ ability to work and our economy. The last thing we need is increased unemployment. This isn’t good for kids and it’s not good for business.
Please click Take Action to send an editable, prewritten message to the Governor, and forward this email on to 2 additional friends, colleagues, clients, or family members and ask them to take action too. It’s very important that the Governor hears from as many people as possible. Thank you.
Where will you be next Thursday?
Posted: February 1st, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, Event, News | Tags: advocacy, childcare, children, early childhood, family, family childcare, parents, providers | No Comments »The news of massive budget cuts this week makes us all ask if kids count in Kentucky. That is a haunting question given the deep cuts to children’s supports on Tuesday, January 29. Next Thursday, February 7, is Children’s Advocacy Day (CAD) at the Capitol. It is THE day to make your voice heard for kids. Whatever your passion – fending off those Cabinet cuts; child fatalities due to abuse and neglect; human trafficking of young people – CAD is the place and the time to make a difference.
Children’s Advocacy Day Schedule
- 9:00-9:30am: Check-in and Register on the second floor mezzanine in the Capitol
- 9:30-10:15am: Kick-off rally in the Capitol Rotunda with youth speakers and performers
- 10:15-12:00pm: Meet with your legislators, and view artowrk in the tunnel
- 12:00-2:00pm: Mini-seminars on the 2013 Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children in Annex Room 125. View the schedule of topics and speakers here.
- 2:00pm: View the House or Senate in session
Whether you plan to stay for the day or just come for an hour, your presence and your voice will make a difference.
See you at the Capitol!
What is your Flu I.Q.?
Posted: January 11th, 2013 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News | Tags: flu, health, resources, websites | No Comments »
Celebrate #GivingTuesday by donating to 4-C.
Posted: November 27th, 2012 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, Event, News | Tags: advocacy, childcare, children, early childhood, family, family childcare, nutrition, parents, preschool, providers, teachers, teaching | No Comments »Voter Information
Posted: November 5th, 2012 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News | Tags: advocacy, election, vote | No Comments »Don’t forget to vote! Not sure where to go? Enter your address below to find your polling location.
Help for Parents entering the JCPS school system
Posted: October 5th, 2012 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News, Susan's Blog | Tags: children, family, jcps, kindergarten, parents, providers, School Clusters | No Comments »Entering kindergarten can be stressful for the whole family. Here is information for families on registering for kindergarten and also the 2013-14 JCPS Elementary School Clusters. While this won’t take care of the first day jitters for kids(or parents), knowledge is power and we want everyone to have a powerful start in “big school”.
Susan A. Vessels
Executive Director
Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C)
“We’ve got a lot of good child care programs in this community. Parents don’t have to use the rotten ones that get all the attention on the nightly news.”
Posted: July 30th, 2012 | Author: Kerri Baxter | Filed under: Child Care Providers, News, Susan's Blog | Tags: advocacy, childcare, children, early childhood, parents, providers, safety | No Comments »That’s the sound bite I always say during media interviews but it never seems to make it on to the airwaves. Recently 4-C has been talking with media about some of the “bad actors” in our local child care community. We all know they are out there. They are the ones who seem to have no interest in what’s best for kids or families. They are the ones who bring down the public opinion of child care. And yet, somehow, they continue to operate, either openly or under ground. Maybe it’s time those of us in the child care world take action to highlight the bad apples that are holding the child care system hostage. I am convinced we will never be able to make substantial progress to raising the quality across our system until we quit protecting those who are in the business for all the wrong reasons.
Susan A. Vessels
Executive Director
Community Coordinated Child Care (4-C)
