In May, we will celebrate Mother’s Day, a holiday created by Americans to honor our moms and their influence in society. With the presence of women with children in the workforce increasing, mothers are not only the glue that holds our homes together, but they are also the fuel helping to drive our economic recovery. Two-thirds of women with young children now work and nearly half are the primary breadwinner within their family. As more moms enter the workforce and lean in to build a successful career and household, however, the affordable, quality early care and education system their families need to lean on is noticeably absent. The women and moms working in the early care and education industry also face significant challenges. Low wages, few benefits and limited training or advancement opportunities are widespread in the early care and education industry, which contributes to high worker turnover, further eroding the quality of care. In this event, speakers discuss how we can have both an early care and education system that provides good jobs and quality, affordable care.
Moderator:
Catherine Rampell, Reporter, The New York Times
Speakers:
Helen Blank, Director of Child Care and Early Learning, National Women’s Law Center
Susan Brenner, Senior Vice President of Education, Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Denise Dowell, Director Early Learning and Care Programs, CSEA
Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director, CEO, and Co-Founder, MomsRising
