LOGAN — Local parents, child care providers, and advocates gathered on the lawn of the Historic Cache County Courthouse for a “Day Without Child Care” event to demand funding for child care, as well as Head Start, Medicaid & SNAP benefits. Speakers at the Monday event highlighted the need for public investment in social services that supports working families, ensures fair wages for providers, and delivers safe, affordable care for all.
Nikaya St. Andre, a licensed, home-based child care provider in North Logan explained the balancing act she and other daycare operators are struggling with.
“If I raise my rates I will no longer be affordable for families,” stated St. Andre. “If I do less with the children, I’m compromising the quality care that is so important for the children’s growth and development as well as the livelihood of my own family as I struggle, even with government help, to provide for my family. We need solutions. We need funding… Livable wages for providers, affordable care for parents and safe and quality care for children.”
The family-friendly event featured Head Start & private child care providers and parents sharing stories and insights about the child care difficulties in Cache Valley, and throughout Utah. Speakers also shared how cuts to Head Start, SNAP, and Medicaid benefits only make it harder for working families to survive.
There was also a stroller rally/march down Main Street, with parents, child care providers, and advocates joining together for child care in Utah. The event ended with a picnic provided by The Factory Pizzeria. Child care providers and parents from Cache, Box Elder, and Davis counties attended to bring awareness to the child care crisis and the importance of programs like Head Start, SNAP, and Medicaid, especially in more rural communities.
The “Day Without Child Care” is part of a national, grassroots movement that highlights the critical role that child care plays in supporting families, the economy, and society as a whole. This movement serves to raise awareness about the challenges faced by childcare providers and the families that they serve.