Community Conversation Themes:

• Child care continues to be an issue because of limited access, especially for infants and toddlers; high cost; and public policy dilemmas.
  
  "We hear the messages about the importance of the early years, but we can't find and can't afford child care. State subsidy policy doesn't work for us."
  
  "In our community there is almost no options for childcare for parents who have to work a third shift."
  
  "For a mom who is receiving assistance, it seems like an insurmountable task to find ways to pay for childcare when you have three or four children. Child care subsidies don't pay the full cost and entry level work doesn't pay enough to make up the difference. Families are left with difficult choices in deciding where their children will be while they work."
  
  "My parents didn't learn English but there was no day care option to leave us so they could go learn. That really hasn't changed. It's still an issue for parents in our community."
  
  "Day care for children is not affordable; and for services, everywhere we turn they have waiting lists. It is hard to get our children involved in services".
  
  "My husband and I also work opposite shifts because of the quality of day care (lack of) ... that is a stressor for our family to work opposite shifts ... we hardly see each other."
  
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• Where we go from here: Continuing the Journey.
  
   
• Return to Main Children of Color page.