As the spread of coronavirus has brought cities all over to a standstill, shuttering businesses and stretching emergency workers and resources to the breaking point, it has also brought front and center the importance of early childhood teachers and caregivers, an often overlooked and under-valued workforce. What officials and companies are realizing, what has always been true, is the fact that it is childcare that allows every other industry to work and that childcare workers are also on the front lines doing their part to fight this pandemic – but without the guidance, resources, protection, and supplies they need to do it.

Essential workers can’t do their jobs without safe and reliable childcare, yet childcare is becoming harder to find during this pandemic as more childcare centers close down each week without much warning.  In fact, about 40% of centers have closed as of mid-April, and most believe they will never reopen without immediate and significant help. 

The effects of a breakdown of the fragile preschool industry will be felt not just for months or years but for generations as the most vulnerable children in our community fall even further behind with fewer opportunities to escape the deep inequities and chronic poverty that already existed.

So when the impact and duration of the pandemic became immediately apparent, our K-Ready Community team pivoted our work to focus first on caring for those who care for our young children -- to support our providers and  to help meet the childcare needs  of essential workers -- during the crisis but always keeping an eye toward a better future for our kids. 

The work is divided into three overlapping stages, starting with convening an ECE Pandemic Response Team with leaders in the ECE industry to provide services, guidelines, resources, and advocacy for the ECE providers and essential workers.

In the Reset stage of work, we are rallying K-Ready Champions to build a collective vision and plan to rebuild and transform the early care and education system so that ALL children get the start they need to be successful in school and in life.