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The Heart of Early Childhood Education: Child Care Providers and Families Working Together

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — leading to burnout and staff shortages that directly impact on the quality-of-care children receive. Without systemic changes and community support, the burden on providers will only grow heavier.

Published

5 days ago

March 18, 2025

Oakland Post

By Allyson D. Andrews, MSW, LLMSW, Director of Early Childhood Education, 20 Degrees

The Reality…

Running a childcare center is more than a job — it’s a labor of love. Providers pour their hearts into nurturing children, creating safe and enriching environments, and building relationships with families. But behind the joy of watching little ones grow, there’s the exhaustion of endless paperwork, ﬁnancial worries, and the daily hustle to keep everything running smoothly. Many childcare providers wear multiple hats: teacher, administrator, mentor, and problem-solver. There’s never enough time in the day, especially when so much of it is spent buried in compliance reports, payroll issues, and operational challenges. For nonproﬁt centers, keeping up with ﬁnancial leadership and board expectations can feel like an uphill battle. And the bureaucracy? It’s overwhelming. Repeating the same information across different systems steals precious time, time that should be spent with children.

On top of these operational hurdles, providers are also navigating a workforce crisis. High turnover rates, difﬁculty retaining qualiﬁed staff, and inadequate compensation create instability within childcare programs. Many providers struggle to offer competitive wages, leading to burnout and staff shortages that directly impact on the quality-of-care children receive. Without systemic changes and community support, the burden on providers will only grow heavier. Providers can’t do it alone and when families play a vital role in supporting their childcare community, it is better for everyone: children, families, and providers. Here’s how parents and families can partner with childcare providers:

10 Ways that Parents and Families Can Partner with Their Providers:

Show Appreciation: A simple thank-you note, small gift, or words of encouragement can go a long way in boosting morale. Childcare providers dedicate countless hours to caring for and educating young children, often going above and beyond to create a nurturing environment. Taking the time to acknowledge their hard work, whether through a handwritten note, a kind message, or a small token of appreciation, can make them feel valued and motivate them to continue providing high-quality care.
Be Patient and Understanding: Recognize that providers are juggling many responsibilities, so trust their expertise in caring for your child. Childcare professionals manage multiple children, planning educational activities, ensuring safety, and meeting administrative requirements, all at the same time. Instead of expressing frustration when challenges arise, approach them with patience and empathy. Giving providers the beneﬁt of the doubt and trusting their professional judgment strengthens the relationship between families and caregivers.
Support Communication Efforts: Respond to messages, forms, and updates promptly to help providers stay organized. Childcare providers rely on clear communication with families to ensure the best care for children. Whether it’s ﬁlling out required forms, reading important notices, or providing updates about your child’s needs, timely responses allow providers to stay on top of operations and minimize administrative burdens. When families actively participate in communication, it creates a smoother and more supportive environment for both children and caregivers.
Advocate for Fair Wages and Funding: Join local advocacy efforts to push for better wages and resources for childcare professionals. Childcare providers are among the lowest-paid professionals, despite the critical role they play in early childhood development. Many struggle to make ends meet while providing high-quality care. Families can support them by advocating for fair wages and increased funding, whether through signing petitions, attending local meetings, or voicing their concerns to policymakers.
Volunteer Time or Skills: Offer to help with small projects like organizing supplies, reading to children, or sharing your professional skills. Many childcare providers operate with limited staff and resources, making extra hands invaluable. Parents can assist by helping organize classrooms, preparing materials, or volunteering during special events. If a parent has a speciﬁc skill — such as graphic design, accounting, or event planning, offering those services pro bono can signiﬁcantly ease the administrative burden.
Respect Policies and Procedures: Following health, safety, and payment policies allow providers to maintain quality care. Policies are designed to ensure the safety and well-being of all children. Arriving on time for pick-up and drop-off, adhering to illness policies, and making timely tuition payments contribute to the smooth operation of a center. Respecting these guidelines means providers can focus on creating a positive learning environment instead of resolving avoidable conﬂicts.
Recommend the Center to Others: Positive word-of-mouth referrals help providers grow and sustain their business. Families play a crucial role in supporting centers to maintain enrollment and ﬁnancial stability. Sharing positive experiences on social media, leaving online reviews, and recommending the center to friends or colleagues can help providers attract new families, ensuring long-term success.
Contribute to Wish Lists or Fundraisers: Donating supplies or participating in fundraisers helps ease ﬁnancial strain. Many childcare providers operate on tight budgets, and even small contributions — such as donating books, art supplies, or cleaning materials — can make a signiﬁcant impact. Families can also organize fundraising initiatives, such as silent auctions or community donation drives, to aid providers in acquiring necessary resources that enhance the learning environment.
Stay Engaged in Your Child’s Experience: Build a partnership with providers by asking questions, sharing feedback, and showing interest in your child’s daily activities. Engaged families lead to a stronger learning environment. Ask your child about their day, communicate regularly with teachers, and attend events when possible. This involvement reinforces the importance of early education and shows providers that their work is valued.
Celebrate Their Hard Work: Recognize the dedication and passion that goes into creating a nurturing environment for children. Recognizing and celebrating childcare providers’ dedication fosters a culture of appreciation and respect. Consider organizing appreciation events, writing positive testimonials, or highlighting their efforts in community newsletters. A little recognition can go a long way in sustaining their motivation and reminding them that their work is valued by the families they serve.

By working together, families and providers can create thriving childcare communities where both children and those who care for them are supported and valued.

Allyson D. Andrews leads a team at 20 Degrees working to support child care, which offers shared services and back-ofﬁce programs to ensure its provider-centric approach delivers new business solutions for childcare leaders so educators, families, and, most importantly, children, all beneﬁt. With over 12 years of experience in Early Childhood Education, Allyson founded and operated four childcare centers in the Detroit area, serving hundreds of children. Allyson has deep consulting experience in start-up operations, business development, ﬁnance, and operations for non-proﬁt and for-proﬁt sectors with a specialization in education.

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Recently Approved Budget Plan Favors Wealthy, Slashes Aid to Low-Income Americans

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The most significant benefits would flow to the highest earners while millions of low-income families face cuts

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown

BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent

The new budget framework approved by Congress may result in sweeping changes to the federal safety net and tax code. The most significant benefits would flow to the highest earners while millions of low-income families face cuts. A new analysis from Yale University’s Budget Lab shows the proposals in the House’s Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution would lead to a drop in after-tax-and-transfer income for the poorest households while significantly boosting revenue for the wealthiest Americans. Last month, Congress passed its Concurrent Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2025 (H. Con. Res. 14), setting revenue and spending targets for the next decade. The resolution outlines $1.5 trillion in gross spending cuts and $4.5 trillion in tax reductions between FY2025 and FY2034, along with $500 billion in unspecified deficit reduction.

Congressional Committees have now been instructed to identify policy changes that align with these goals. Three of the most impactful committees—Agriculture, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means—have been tasked with proposing major changes. The Agriculture Committee is charged with finding $230 billion in savings, likely through changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. Energy and Commerce must deliver $880 billion in savings, likely through Medicaid reductions. Meanwhile, the Ways and Means Committee must craft tax changes totaling no more than $4.5 trillion in new deficits, most likely through extending provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Although the resolution does not specify precise changes, reports suggest lawmakers are eyeing steep cuts to SNAP and Medicaid benefits while seeking to make permanent tax provisions that primarily benefit high-income individuals and corporations.

To examine the potential real-world impact, Yale’s Budget Lab modeled four policy changes that align with the resolution’s goals:

A 30 percent across-the-board cut in SNAP funding.
A 15 percent cut in Medicaid funding.
Permanent extension of the individual and estate tax cuts from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Permanent extension of business tax provisions including 100% bonus depreciation, expense of R&D, and relaxed limits on interest deductions.

Yale researchers determined that the combined effect of these policies would reduce the after-tax-and-transfer income of the bottom 20 percent of earners by 5 percent in the calendar year 2026. Households in the middle would see a modest 0.6 percent gain. However, the top five percent of earners would experience a 3 percent increase in their after-tax-and-transfer income.

Moreover, the analysis concluded that more than 100 percent of the net fiscal benefit from these changes would go to households in the top 20 percent of the income distribution. This happens because lower-income groups would lose more in government benefits than they would gain from any tax cuts. At the same time, high-income households would enjoy significant tax reductions with little or no loss in benefits.

“These results indicate a shift in resources away from low-income tax units toward those with higher incomes,” the Budget Lab report states. “In particular, making the TCJA provisions permanent for high earners while reducing spending on SNAP and Medicaid leads to a regressive overall effect.” The report notes that policymakers have floated a range of options to reduce SNAP and Medicaid outlays, such as lowering per-beneficiary benefits or tightening eligibility rules. While the Budget Lab did not assess each proposal individually, the modeling assumes legislation consistent with the resolution’s instructions. “The burden of deficit reduction would fall largely on those least able to bear it,” the report concluded.

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A Threat to Pre-emptive Pardons

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — it was a possibility that the preemptive pardons would not happen because of the complicated nature of that never-before-enacted process.

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

President Trump is working to undo the traditional presidential pardon powers by questioning the Biden administration’s pre-emptive pardons issued just days before January 20, 2025. President Trump is seeking retribution against the January 6th House Select Committee. The Trump Justice Department has been tasked to find loopholes to overturn the pardons that could lead to legal battles for the Republican and Democratic nine-member committee. Legal scholars and those closely familiar with the pardon process worked with the Biden administration to ensure the preemptive pardons would stand against any retaliatory knocks from the incoming Trump administration. A source close to the Biden administration’s pardons said, in January 2025, “I think pardons are all valid. The power is unreviewable by the courts.”

However, today that same source had a different statement on the nuances of the new Trump pardon attack. That attack places questions about Biden’s use of an autopen for the pardons. The Trump argument is that Biden did not know who was pardoned as he did not sign the documents. Instead, the pardons were allegedly signed by an autopen. The same source close to the pardon issue said this week, “unless he [Trump] can prove Biden didn’t know what was being done in his name. All of this is in uncharted territory. “ Meanwhile, an autopen is used to make automatic or remote signatures. It has been used for decades by public figures and celebrities.

Months before the Biden pardon announcement, those in the Biden White House Counsel’s Office, staff, and the Justice Department were conferring tirelessly around the clock on who to pardon and how. The concern for the preemptive pardons was how to make them irrevocable in an unprecedented process. At one point in the lead-up to the preemptive pardon releases, it was a possibility that the preemptive pardons would not happen because of the complicated nature of that never-before-enacted process. President Trump began the threat of an investigation for the January 6th Select Committee during the Hill proceedings. Trump has threatened members with investigation or jail.

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Reaction to The Education EO

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Meanwhile, the new Education EO jeopardizes funding for students seeking a higher education. Duncan states, PellGrants are in jeopardy after servicing “6.5 million people” giving them a chance to go to college.

Published

2 days ago

March 21, 2025

Oakland Post

By April Ryan

There are plenty of negative reactions to President Donald Trump’s latest Executive Order abolishing the Department of Education. As Democrats call yesterday’s action performative, it would take an act of Congress for the Education Department to close permanently. “This blatantly unconstitutional executive order is just another piece of evidence that Trump has absolutely no respect for the Constitution,” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) who is the ranking member on the House Financial Services Committee. “By dismantling ED, President Trump is implementing his own philosophy on education, which can be summed up in his own words, ‘I love the poorly educated.’ I am adamantly opposed to this reckless action, said Rep. Bobby Scott who is the most senior Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee.

Morgan State University President Dr. David Wilson chimed in saying “I’m deeply concerned about efforts to shift federal oversight in education back to the states, particularly regarding equity, justice, and fairness. History has shown us what happens when states are left unchecked—Black and poor children are too often denied access to the high-quality education they deserve. In 1979 then President Jimmy Carter signed a law creating the Department of Education. Arne Duncan, former Obama Education Secretary, reminds us that both Democratic and Republican presidents have kept education a non-political issue until now. However, Duncan stressed Republican presidents have contributed greatly to moving education forward in this country.

During a CNN interview this week Duncan said during the Civil War President Abraham “Lincoln created the land grant system” for colleges like Tennessee State University. “President Ford brought in IDEA.” And “Nixon signed Pell Grants into law.” In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by President George W. Bush which increased federal oversight of schools through standardized testing. Meanwhile, the new Education EO jeopardizes funding for students seeking higher education. Duncan states, PellGrants are in jeopardy after servicing “6.5 million people” giving them a chance to go to college. Wilson details, “that 40 percent of all college students rely on Pell Grants and student loans.”

Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) says this Trump action “impacts students pursuing higher education and threatens 26 million students across the country, taking billions away from their educational futures. Meanwhile, During the president’s speech in the East Room of the White House Thursday, Trump criticized Baltimore City, and its math test scores with critical words. Governor West Moore, who is opposed to the EO action, said about dismantling the Department of Education, “Leadership means lifting people up, not punching them down.”