Home child care providers fight to improve the system

For years, home child care providers have been coming together to address the challenges they face. In 2005, they united for a voice in the Child Care Assistance Program resulting in improvements across the industry, including:

• Increasing child care rates across the industry by working with Illinois Action for Children, the Sargent Shriver Center on Poverty Law and other early learning advocates;
• Securing funding to launch the Quality Rating System to reward training and quality care;
• Moving legislation in partnership with child care advocates and allies that would expand eligibility and lower parent co-payments; and
• Establishing the first-ever home child care health fund, which provides benefits to thousands and paves the way for greater access to health care among those working in the child care system.

This year, home child care providers are negotiating their second contract, and it could mean significant improvements for the future of child care in our state. But the state’s growing budget crisis and proposed cuts are making the fight more difficult than ever. Stay tuned for more on the home child care contract and what it will mean for child care centers.