A Century of Working Women and the Future of Family Childcare
Event Summary
On Friday, June 12, AEI’s Katharine Stevens hosted a web event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Bureau in the US Department of Labor and highlight the important role of home-based, family childcare for children, families, and communities.
Laurie Todd-Smith, director of the Women’s Bureau, described the history of the Women’s Bureau and its current focus on advancing paid family leave and high-quality childcare for working women.
Jessica Sager, CEO of All Our Kin, discussed the crucial place of family childcare in reopening the economy and what is needed for a stronger childcare system in a post-COVID-19 world, including adequate funding and creating supportive networks of home-based childcare providers.
Finally, Shannon Christian, director of the federal Office of Child Care, explained the place of family childcare in the broader childcare landscape, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the unique nature and contributions of family childcare in state childcare quality rating systems.
Panelists agreed that family childcare must be acknowledged as a viable, high-quality option moving forward. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, family childcare provides a small-scale, nurturing, mixed-age environment that is conducive to early learning while ensuring health and well-being by minimizing COVID-19 spread.
Event Description
On Friday, June 12, AEI’s Katharine Stevens hosted a web event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Women’s Bureau in the US Department of Labor and highlight the important role of home-based, family childcare for children, families, and communities.
Laurie Todd-Smith, director of the Women’s Bureau, described the history of the Women’s Bureau and its current focus on advancing paid family leave and high-quality childcare for working women.
Jessica Sager, CEO of All Our Kin, discussed the crucial place of family childcare in reopening the economy and what is needed for a stronger childcare system in a post-COVID-19 world, including adequate funding and creating supportive networks of home-based childcare providers.
Finally, Shannon Christian, director of the federal Office of Child Care, explained the place of family childcare in the broader childcare landscape, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the unique nature and contributions of family childcare in state childcare quality rating systems.
Panelists agreed that family childcare must be acknowledged as a viable, high-quality option moving forward. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, family childcare provides a small-scale, nurturing, mixed-age environment that is conducive to early learning while ensuring health and well-being by minimizing COVID-19 spread.
Event Materials
Katharine B. Stevens: The case for home-based child care
The Women’s Bureau: An Overview 1920–2020
US Department of Health and Human Services: National Resources about Family Child Care
US Department of Health and Human Services: National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance
All Our Kin: Creating the Conditions for Family Child Care to Thrive
All Our Kin: The Economic Impact of the All Our Kin Family Child Care Tool Kit Licensing Program
AGENDA
10:00 AM
Welcome and introductions:
Katharine B. Stevens, AEI
10:05 AM
Remarks:
Laurie Todd-Smith, US Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau
10:15 AM
Panel discussion
Panelists:
Shannon Christian, US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Child Care
Jessica Sager, All Our Kin
Laurie Todd-Smith, US Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau
Moderator:
Katharine B. Stevens, AEI
10:50 AM
Q&A
11:00 AM
Adjournment
See Also
Op-Ed ~ June 16, 2020
Event ~ July 29, 2020
Report ~ June 21, 2017