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Gloria calls up Lynette Fraga, CEO of Child Care Aware of America, to unpack the many reasons why America’s child care crisis has only gotten worse over the past year, from inflation to the workforce crisis. Lynette explains why the military’s child care system, famous for its high quality and accessibility, is also struggling right now, with more than 11,000 children under 5 in need of a child care spot urgently. Plus, a story from the No One Is Coming to Save Us community about a new mom looking for infant care before her first ultrasound.

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Click here for CCAoA’s new report showing that child care prices gave continued to outpace the rate of inflation for the third consecutive year: https://www.childcareaware.org/catalyzing-growth-using-data-to-change-child-care/#ChildCareAffordability

Locate a Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) agency near you: https://www.childcareaware.org/resources/ccrr-search/.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com.

Transcript

SPEAKERS

Gloria Riviera, Lynette Fraga

Gloria Riviera  00:12

Hi everyone. I hope you are all settling into October. You’re heading towards Halloween. I have been confronted by candy in those massive bags at the grocery store more times than I can count. It’s candy, some kind of random brand of sparkling water and then surprisingly healthy looking mini orchids. That’s what meets me every time. This year I resolve I am going to throw out the extra Halloween candy. I am going to Marie Kondo. That stuff. Thank you Reese’s peanut butter cups for all the joy and there’s been a lot that you’ve brought into my life, but I’m throwing you away. Goodbye. Declutter that sugar bomb right out of your life. I am doing it I promise. Okay, well, I’m going to try. This is No One is Coming To Save Us. A Lemonada Media original presented by and created with neighborhood villages. I am your host Gloria Riviera. Okay, so first off spoiler alert. This episode is serious. But that’s okay. That’s okay because the child care crisis is serious business. My guest is Lynette Fraga, the outgoing CEO of child care aware of America. 10 years, Lynette has been deep in the work of solving the childcare crisis at childcare aware for 10 years and working on the issue for much longer than that. She says it is what she is called to do. You’ll hear Lynette tell me, that when it comes to the childcare crisis, we are all living in a scarcity mindset in which we assume there are no resources available, because that is what we have been told over and over and over again. But it is not true. We can do this as a country. As parents, as caregivers as women, we can figure this out. We can save ourselves because we have to, Lynette is an optimist, and so am I. So while it is a serious episode, do not worry. We do not abandon you. We are here with you. We smile a lot, Lynette and I, I promise. Here now is my conversation with Lynette Fraga.

Gloria Riviera  02:34

Lynette Fraga I’m so pleased to see you. I feel like I’m seeing an old friend. Hi, how are you?

Lynette Fraga  02:41

Hi, Gloria. I’m doing okay. My morning started off with a coffee spill in the elevator. So it’s all, it’s all uphill from here.

Gloria Riviera  02:51

I you know, I relate. I relate. I also I have a dear friend who used to text me when she would drive away with her coffee on the top of her car, she would try for kids to school. And it just would crack me up. So you know, we all we all we’re just we’re doing our best every morning. We’re doing our best. So I want to start with a tweet that you sent back in August. And as the school year approached, you wrote to anyone caring for and nurturing our children. I wish you wonder, curiosity and growth this season. And I love that because it is so positive. Do you think wonder curiosity and growth is what we’re seeing out there?

Lynette Fraga  03:34

I think what we are seeing is the aspiration for Wonder curiosity and growth and disappointment and many corners about the fact that there are too many barriers for too many of us, particularly as we speak specifically around the early care and education space, to many barriers for them to be able to actually embrace that way of being because of the struggles so many struggles in this moment.

Gloria Riviera  04:09

And how have those struggles? I don’t know crystallized, you know, we hear so much about the child care crisis in the context of it was bad before and now it’s worse. How is it worse now?

Lynette Fraga  04:22

So it’s worse for all of us globally in many, many ways that we can count but and for our child care providers who went through heroic lengths, right. I mean, we’re just present for families and for children during incredible uncertainty, a lot of grief and trauma. And they were truly the workforce behind the workforce and have been, again, essential long before the pandemic, for sure and subsequent to the pandemic. I think it just continues to be hard for early current education workforce we’re seeing unfortunately Many of our title care providers leaving the Workforce Compensation. I know you’ve talked a lot about this on your program, Gloria, about the compensation of providers, you know, the fact that their care and respect is not doesn’t sort of live or stand, they have to change professions in order to survive, not even to think about thriving. And even though there’s so much difference to be made in early care and education, you know, absent the kinds of supports and holding up and respecting through compensation and benefits, without an absent those things. It’s really tough for them to be present. And they’re not only for themselves, but for the children in their classrooms and in their family, childcare homes. And it’s sad to see it’s really, really challenging to see that happen. And it’s gotten worse, it has gotten worse. We’ve seen many, many providers leaving the workforce and I’m super concerned about the days, weeks, months, years ahead.

Gloria Riviera  06:04

What was the number that you cited when you were testifying? In front of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus crisis, you said, between December 2019 and March 2021, nearly 16,000 childcare programs across 37 States permanently closed, which is a 9% decline in child care providers both center and home based that is a huge number. And I should have put a spoiler alert at the top of this to say this is going to be a rough conversation because we are in such a rough space.

Lynette Fraga  06:39

Yes, we’re in a rough space. And we actually just released a report called the price of care 2021 Child Care affordability. So we have a couple of several things that are happening at the same time. One is that decrease in availability of childcare providers and for families. And the other is affordability and the price of care both of which have been challenges for a long time. But we’re seeing childcare prices continue to rise. And this report that we released this morning estimates a national average of about $10,600 a year, which is for childcare, which is 5% more expensive than in 2020. And within an average inflation rate of 4.7% in 2021, child care prices outpaced the average inflation rate by point three percentage points, like every decimal counts every number count. And this was the third straight here that the increase in child care prices was higher than the rate of inflation.

Gloria Riviera  07:47

Okay, that’s just insurmountable. I mean, that is black and white insurmountable. What do you do, it reminds me of these recent stories about the military, right, because in season one of this show, we hold up the military as an example of how it can work. And I remember speaking to single mothers who had heard about the solid childcare in the military and sought out a position in the military because of that. And now these reports are showing, even in the military, there’s something like 11,000 kids in need of care between the ages of zero and five. That’s an enormous number for an entity that was held up as such a shiny example, what’s going on there?

Lynette Fraga  08:36

No matter where you are in the United States right now, no matter who your employer, no matter what part of the country you may live in. The title care system is really struggling to meet the needs of parents. And the Military Child Care System does and has a strong history of working super hard on behalf of its military members and children and families. Because it’s centered in this idea of quality and quality care, and how important that is to positive child outcomes. And frankly, as an employer sponsored child care system to maintain retention of those employees, for example, and that families and children are cared for so that they can focus on the work at hand. And military childcare is also centered in this idea that quality childcare costs more than parents can afford. And so there’s an understanding about that. So the military asks the question, how can we support that in the availability equation and then the affordability equation by providing things like quality care and for example, fee assistance or subsidy for military families, and to your point the child healthcare System, the National childcare system, the state systems are struggling to meet the needs of families. And it’s a complex picture. There’s complexity here. But we should be embracing the complexity with solutions. And the idea that we can identify what’s needed and move towards a public good. And seeing childcare as a public good and necessary, is the direction I am hopeful and optimistic glass half full or coffee cup most full, that we’re gonna get there. We’re gonna get there. We know what’s needed. But we have to change the calculus and much of that is around wealth, and investment.

Gloria Riviera  10:43

I mean, we’re talking about the military childcare system, it makes me think that the problems I’ve read about our access, right that the center that is available to those, this is from a CBS News report, in the seventh special forces, which includes the Green Berets. And just as a journalist for so long, who’s covered wars in nasty places, the moment you mentioned, Special Forces and Green Berets, people perk up a little bit more. So what is offered to them in terms of childcare is often so far away, that it doesn’t make any sense. It’s not, you know, we talk about accessibility, that it’s really not accessible. And the question that comes up for the military, of course, is, does that compromise our military readiness? If you have people leaving, you know, squad leaders leaving the Green Berets? Because they cannot get child care? If that’s having the same issues that our national system is having, we got to do something. So what is the answer to that?

Lynette Fraga  11:52

We do have to do something for all each and every one of our families across the United States who are struggling with trying to find child care. And for each and every one of our child care providers who want to provide that care, there are a mix of things that have been put forward as possible solutions. So you know, as we’re thinking about investment, as I said earlier, this idea of a public good, that means essentially, that we need to be investing in, in child care. And so there are ways that that’s happened over the last year and couple of years. What was tragic and true, as a result of the pandemic is that finally, and I’ve been in this work for, you know, 25 years, finally, child care started to become a number one issue that folks were talking about, not only in the kitchen table, but in the policy realm. And it was really clear that the communities could not function right. You know, no childcare, no recovery. Communities couldn’t function absent childcare. So there were some investments that were made, which was, which was great stabilization grant funding. The American rescue plan, put dollars and states put dollars and dedicated funding for child care. I

Gloria Riviera  13:22

You know it’s interesting, as you say, American rescue plan. My head, you know, the thought bubble in my head was like, yes, rescue, we needed rescue, right. And so the even the words that were chosen by our government, were absolutely apt. And so for a moment, we felt like we might be rescued. And then that went away.

Lynette Fraga  13:43

This package started out as the build back better act and included $400 billion investment in child care and early learning, after build back better passed the House of Representatives. And with these investments in December of 2021. The proposal started shrinking in size, and senators debated which priorities to keep in and unfortunately, and ultimately, childcare and early learning provisions were completely omitted from the final bill that was signed into law, which was heartbreaking for so many. There were so many families that were struggling. So now we’re approaching the end of 2022. And the 117th Congress and we are hoping to see an increased funding for child care through the Child Care Development Block Grant, through the annual appropriations process. And just for your listeners, we were and I know your listeners are super smart because I listened to your podcast, Gloria all of the time, and it’s there. It’s amazing. And I know you’ve spoken about the Child Care Development Block Grant.

Gloria Riviera  14:51

Let’s talk about it some more.

Lynette Fraga  14:52

So let me say again, so the Child Care Development Block Grant is a law that authorizes the Child Care Development Fund program, which is the largest federal funding source for child care that provides funds to states to reimburse childcare provider for services delivered particularly to low income families.

Gloria Riviera  15:11

For our listeners in very plain language, that law is the onus that requires states to pay back families for their childcare costs, right. So it’s like a cushion. It’s a legal cushion that many states, all states, many states, all states have deployed for how long?

Lynette Fraga  15:33

The Child Care Development Block Grant was reauthorized in 2014, I believe it feels like forever ago 2016. And now we’re at the point where we are urging Child Care aware of America is urging Congress for the highest possible FY 23 allocation for child care. And minimum $6.17 billion for CCDBG. That’s which would be bring us to a total of $12.3 billion. And so we’re calling on Congress for bipartisan appropriations to be passed this calendar year. And so this increase in annual funding is so critical for childcare and for the childcare community, because states are now grappling with how they’re going to continue to fund the work, they’ve started to improve the childcare system. And so I’m going to go back to this idea of how important it is for child care, to not only have stable funding, but to have a positive public investment of public good, so that we’re not consistently and constantly grappling for, and searching for dollars in order to support sustainable a sustainable childcare system. And that to your question earlier glory about like, what do we do? How can we make sure that no matter who your employer, no matter what community you’re at, no matter what your job may be, no matter what your needs may be, that you have a quality setting that you can feel good about, for your child. And we need sustainable investment, we need people to understand this is not only good for our children and their outcomes, which should be enough. It’s also incredibly important for the economic engine of our communities. And we learned that lesson, painfully during the pandemic.

Gloria Riviera  17:41

During the pandemic, absolutely. We need to stop the stop gap measures that are funding childcare in this country. What are some other events that highlight that manifest and show us how the crisis in crisis has worsened in the last year? Going because the money thing is a huge thing, right? And you and I talk about it and people who are well versed in child care talk about it. I don’t know what that as well, versus you are? I’m not but I’m familiar with it. I know that talking about the money is key and critical. But there are other things that have happened. So I’m just curious, when you get phone calls, or you talk to your colleagues who are out in the field, what are they telling you about what it looks like out there? And one thing that we’ve said it a lot on this show is okay, pre pandemic numbers in many industries are now back to their normal levels, right? They’re pre COVID levels, not so in the childcare industry. So what does that look like out there for a family who may have been on a waitlist for a long time finally got a spot now that center has closed? What is the reality for families right now? Are they quitting their jobs? Is one person if it’s a two family home? Or is their grandparent coming in? Is somebody coming in to provide the care what happens to that child?

Lynette Fraga  19:20

Yeah, these are such good questions. So it looks really hard for families and for those in the fields that are providing care. What we’re seeing and the pain points that I’m seeing from my colleagues out there is that it is incredibly difficult to keep programs open because there are no educators in classrooms or family child care homes are closing. And so what does that mean? Well, it’s incredibly hard to see talented brain architects departing the field of care and education when nurturance and care based on the science of early childhood, we know so well is so important. So it’s disturbing and distraught by seeing so many leaving the workforce and working at other places, because they need to in order to support their own families, I mean, with an average 12 or $13 an hour income, how do you survive, right? It’s not going to cut it.

Gloria Riviera  20:35

And do you have families that say to you, I’ve heard from one childcare provider, she was able to keep her doors open a little longer, because a family came to her in tears saying I don’t I have no other option, you have to stay open. Sadly, she ultimately closed but that’s happening all over. That’s what it looks like. Right?

Lynette Fraga  20:54

That is what it looks like. And let’s talk about the emotional wellness factor here with that, right? And so, not only is that happening, and did it happen through the pandemic, when it was not only I can’t economically survive, because I can’t keep my job if you don’t keep your doors open, which is you know, and these are strong relationships, right? I mean, you’re literally caring for this child, and your care, and you love and nurture them each and every day. So then there’s this pressure, your own family pressure around the fact that you can’t afford to stay in the profession. And then there is the very real fact that you love your job, and you love the families and you love the children, and the emotional impact that has on you as a human. And the challenges are being seen. So there is data around rates of depression, and stress for early current education providers increasing and in addition to, by the way, food insecurity, economic insecurity, etc. And remember important adults and children’s lives, and their emotional well-being is transferred to the children, right. And so children have a wonderful knack of absorbing all of what’s happening around them. And for families, parents are struggling, they are struggling with their sort of economic lives. And when how stressful is it, I had two young children who are now in college. And we can maybe that’s another show. But my you know, my youngest when my children were younger was the single mom, navigating all of those pressures and stressors. And I often imagine myself in today’s context, as a single, you know, as a single mom trying to figure out how I’m going to find childcare. It was hard then.

Gloria Riviera  23:00

What did it look like then for you? How did you do it?

Lynette Fraga  23:03

You know, how did I do it? I woke up each and every day and did it just like probably many other, you know, families.

Gloria Riviera  23:10

That’s the go to game plan. For most of us out here. You wake up every day and do it.

Lynette Fraga  23:15

And you know, and I was also not near family. What I hope for others is that the communities and the policymakers stand up and understand the impossibilities of working absent childcare, and supporting yourself and supporting your family. Absent that really important source. We surveyed over 400 parents, and they raised up their concerns where affordability and accessibility what we’ve spoken to. And then they got specific, I need transportation. I need to feel that my children are safe and secure was another major part of what we heard from parents. I want to ensure my children are nurtured. All of those things parents need and want and desire and should have. And I think that we have to create a system by which those things are held up as important. In order for parents to be productive citizens and to thrive as community members. This has to be true. It has to be true that children are safe and secure and nurtured and loved and cared for in quality settings and that they’re available and that they’re affordable and that they’re accessible. And that means things like transportation and not having childcare deserts and having access in rural communities and ensuring that our youngest children zero to three are in quality programs. And it isn’t so hard, which by the way, infant toddler care is the hardest kind of care to find. So all of those things need to be true in order for us to move forward. And I just continue to go back to the public investment side of the equation. We have to invest. This is an everybody’s business issue.

Lynette Fraga  24:05

We are trapped between a rock and a hard place out in the country, because we’re paying tax dollars, right? There’s money going to the state and by the way, having each state decide how they handle things, is very reminiscent of what’s happened in a post Roe America. Right? Like it’s up to you states, you figure it out.

Gloria Riviera  26:07

Where do you see the conversation happening? About the money about the, you know, $400 billion allocated from build back better? Is it that sort of ground level advocacy that we need state to state to convince people to pass bills that demand tax dollars, go to childcare? Here’s you talking about employer, and I’m telling you about the individual paying a tax like I’m a mom, and I would say, you know, yes, I would gladly pay taxes, even though my kids are now of public school age of kindergarten age. Yes, I would spend my tax dollars on child care. But nobody’s asking me to do that.

Lynette Fraga  26:57

Such a great question. So this really is a local state and federal equation, which also has to do with prioritization. So there were and continued to be really interesting approaches to support child care, whether it’s child care quality, or availability, a compensation of providers, etc. That began to emerge through the pandemic in terms of compensation, or bonuses, or retention, or grants to programs, etc. And this funding came from a lot of different places from the local or municipality level, county level, some state dollars, federal dollars. So really was the sort of blended way of thinking about funding, child care and funding the various aspects of child care that actually make it a system of which is questionable in this moment about, you know, the extent to which we can call it a functioning system. So I would say to your question, yes, yes and yes, at every level, including employer, there’s a place for you to contribute. We have been doing this for decades, trying to piece together various solutions, and sometimes that works really well and some communities benefit. But then there are always those that don’t, right, right. And there are too many, we’re having this conversation. Because right, because there are too many families, too many parents who are struggling and are absent. The solution, to your point about states making their own decisions. And this is where the state subsidy programs sort of come into play here. So there are a host of federal and state subsidy programs for childcare. And navigating them, as you know, and I’m sure you’ve heard can be a little challenging, to say the least right? really tricky.

Gloria Riviera  28:53

I’ve actually I printed out from the military, like everything you have to do to find child care within the military. And I felt like it was arduous.

Lynette Fraga  29:01

So states receive a block grant from the federal government. I named it before the Child Care and Development Block Grant. And states use that money. It’s a pot of money, yes, yes, it’s a pot of money. And then states contribute their own state funds or braid. This idea of braiding braid other eligible federal funds to provide child care subsidies to low income base mostly low income working families. And states have some federal requirements to abide by so for example, family income eligibility must be at or below 85% of state median income. Children are eligible until they’re 13 years old, so they have to be children, you know, 13 and younger. There are federal categories of activities that qualify a family for eligibility, like employment, education training. So there’s these basic federal requirements but states do have the leeway to establish many other limits or policies for themselves. So they You have that ability to do that. And they do look and operate differently from state to state. So if I were listening to this program, I would say, How do I find out about how this works in my own state, they can certainly visit our website at childcareaware.org , we can help identify different sources that are available to them so that they can figure that you know, figure that out. But the big picture is around subsidy is that subsidy only serves a fraction of eligible children, because there is not enough money in the pot to be able to do what is necessary for our nation’s children and families. So according to the Department of Health and Human Services, which is the entity that oversees this, there are approximately 12.8 million children eligible for subsidies under federal rules, and 8.4 million eligible under state rules, but only 1.9 million receive subsidies.

Gloria Riviera  31:06

That is what it kind of percentages that, that’s ridiculous.

Lynette Fraga  31:09

That’s really not good, right. And so, you know, additional federal funding could be a game changer. And with those additional funds, and less of a scarcity mindset, which is really important, because the childcare system hasn’t had the kinds of resources that one would need to think about sustainability, systemic tamed, because there is this mindset of it’s going to go away, right, this money is going to go away. And so you spend money differently, if you think it’s going to go away than if you think it’s going to stay.

Gloria Riviera  31:48

Whose mindset is this money is going to go away? Is that part of what we are in this hamster wheel of, okay, let’s get to the next stop gap. Let’s get to the next stop gap. And there is no long term consistent. Okay, so that’s what the block grants are limited, they’re limited every time they’re distributed, what happens

Lynette Fraga  32:10

is that there’s a constant sort of advocacy turn around, getting the dollars that are needed to support our childcare system. And with additional federal funds, it can become much more possible to expand eligibility. Right, so more people are qualified to reach more families, but also to make it easier. And this is where sort of the operations of sort of the machinery, right, it’s like, we want to improve the machinery. We want to improve the way in which things are distributed, which speaks into equity, and equity issues or sort of a systemic change that’s needed in order for us to have a quality, affordable, accessible, more equitable system that literally is sustained over time infinitum, where each and every child has these quality, secure, nurturing safe spaces to be while their parents are at work or at school, I think is what we’re really looking towards.

Gloria Riviera  33:21

You’re about to make a big change and leave your current post. What went into that decision? How are you feeling about it? How will you continue to be involved in advocating for better child care in this country?

Lynette Fraga  33:33

Yeah. So I am stepping down as CEO of Child Care Aware of America, Gloria and it was a really tough decision to make. I’ve been at child care aware of America for a decade, and it has been incredibly amazing on my professional journey. I’ve been doing this work forever. But at the helm of this particular organization for a decade, and it has been tremendous, and I have felt really great and child care aware of America is a is a tremendous organization that will continue to do strong and good work. We have an excellent and exceptional team. I will say I’m not leaving the arena Floria, I am staying in the arena. This is my heart song. This is my purpose. My purpose is to do this work. And I know that clearly. And without any doubt. You know, I’ve been thinking a lot about early childhood and child development and what and how children grow and thrive. I have focused most of my career on community based work and putting into place the systems and supports and holding up the resilience in the voices of those that are amazingly strong and doing it as we shared earlier each and every day. And I look forward to getting creative about how I might continue to do that differently, and from a sort of from a different post and from a different space. As a as a military kid, as a Latina, who has grown up and grown into adulthood with a very strong, resilient family, who has experienced so much challenge and, and has such grit and strength, I stand on the shoulders, and I look forward to doing what’s next.

Gloria Riviera  35:35

Listen, the hard question is why now? What needs to change, but if I hear you correctly, you’re saying you’re not leaving. And we’ll still be that this is, as you say, your heart song that you will find a way to make an impact. Even if it’s not in the CEO chair. We will not be without you, which is very good news for us. I want to thank you for your tenure, and everything you represent in this fight. And especially I want to acknowledge your positivity, because we need we need positivity right now. And let us be saved sooner rather than later. Right.

Lynette Fraga  36:21

Let us be saved. Let us save ourselves. Yes, we can do this.

Gloria Riviera  36:26

Thank you from the no one is coming to save us community. Thank you for being, you know, a lead foot soldier as we endeavor to save ourselves.

Lynette Fraga  36:34

Thank you glory. It’s been a pleasure and an honor.

Gloria Riviera  36:44

I told you, she’s a warm, genuine person. She cares deeply. I want to thank her again. Thank you, Lynette. For your long service to the childcare crisis, for your optimism and for the fact for the record, that you just said, You are not going anywhere. Good. We need you. All right. It’s time for my favorite part of every episode, our chance to hear from you or no one is coming to save us community. Here’s what you had to say this week.

Speaker 3  37:16

Hey, Gloria. So I am a 37 year old single female that just paid 1000s of dollars to conceive via a sperm donor. And honestly, I am just a couple of weeks pregnant, but I have coworkers that are telling me that I need to get on a waitlist for a daycare now. And to me that seems super anxiety provoking, and really intimidating. Because I’m like, I haven’t even had an ultrasound yet to, you know, see this baby in there. And I already need to be getting on a waitlist for daycare. It seems overwhelming. But I knew that biologically I was kind of running out of time. And it was an hour never a situation to become a mom. And so despite all of my fears and concerns and anxiety, I went for it. So I’m currently pregnant and apparently going to start shopping for daycares.

Gloria Riviera  38:15

Okay, I’m going to say what my mom says to me in difficult moments. Oh, sweetie. Oh, sweetie. First off, congratulations. Congratulations on that little life growing inside you. I will share with you that I have never in my life. Felt as empowered as I did when I was pregnant. Carrying and growing a new heart inside me. It changed what I was capable of handling. of dealing with, of moving through know it is super anxiety producing. At the same time. The folks telling you the daycare thing are I’m guessing here. But I think in their own way, there’s a chance they are looking out for you. Of course it is overwhelming, but it is not unmanageable. You will find a way. No, it shouldn’t be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. But this is our reality today, and we are fighting to change it. So that in the future when our own kids are thinking about beginning a family. They won’t have to deal with this kind of overwhelm. They won’t feel alone. And today I am telling you are not alone. You are such a rock star. Some of the most powerful women I know did just what you are doing became single moms to wonderful, brilliant, cuddly little ones. It is going to be okay it is going to be so much better than okay. And we are here anytime you need us. All right. It’s your turn. I want to hear from you. In light of the decision to overturn Roe vs Wade and the high cost and inaccessibility of child care In this country would you want or would you want someone you care about to become pregnant in the next year? Why or why not? To share your thoughts with me just pull out your phone, record a voice memo and email it to me at Gloria@lemonadamedia.com. It is that easy. All right, that’s all for me this week. Thank you guys so much for listening.

CREDITS  40:31

NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US is a Lemonada Media original presented by and created with Neighborhood Villages. The show is produced by Kryssy Pease and Alex McOwen. Veronica Rodriguez is our engineer. Music is by Hannis Brown. Our executive producers are Stephanie Wittels Wachs, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and me Gloria Riviera. If you like the show, and you believe what we’re doing is important. Please help others find us by leaving us a rating and writing us a review. Do you have your own experiences and frustrations with the childcare system? Do you have ideas for what we could do to make it better? Join the No One Is Coming To Save Us Facebook group where we can continue the conversation together. You can also follow us and other Lemonada podcasts at @LemonadaMedia across all social platforms. Thank you so much for listening. We will be back next week. Until then hang in there. You can do it.