OAKLAND, Calif. — Child care providers, parents, labor organizers and advocates across the Bay Area rallied this week as part of the nationwide “Day Without Child Care” campaign, calling for universal child care, higher wages for providers and stronger protections against the growing role of private enterprise in the industry.
As part of the Bay Area iteration of the national campaign, local organizing group Parent Voices Oakland joined Community Change Action to draw attention to what organizers described as a growing crisis in child care affordability, accessibility and working conditions for providers.
Community Change Action said demonstrations are organized annually to highlight the indispensable role child care workers play in the economy while also emphasizing the ongoing economic hardship faced by providers and parents alike. Organizers said child care remains one of the most expensive costs for families, while providers continue to receive poverty-level pay…