“My child care expired a few months ago,” says Lourdes Alarcón, mother to Itzel, 14 months, and Xavier, 3. “I needed an extension (to) keep looking for a job. You have to send out your resume, search for jobs, have interviews. To have child care was crucial.”

Parent Voices members met with Congressional officials in DC and at home and urged them to support the recent federal stimulus package—which extended child care benefits for unemployed parents searching for jobs. Parent Voices members also met with President Obama’s transition team and attended the National Child Care Resource and Referral Agency’s conference in D.C.

“We have to find a way to connect with legislators”

Alarcón and other parents met with Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the impact of the stimulus on families. “Parents have the responsibility,” says Alarcón, “to make sure this money goes to children. (Speaker Pelosi) listened carefully to us. She said, ‘I know. I have grandchildren and children too.’ She’s trying to identify with that experience, and I find that inspiring.”

Alarcón later spoke at a Parent Voices press conference, thanking Pelosi for supporting the package—and Xavier presented Pelosi with a certificate. “(It showed) him he shouldn’t be scared of someone who’s powerful. He can just raise his voice and say what he wants.”

“I used to (think) legislators are up so high and make decisions I don’t have anything to do with,” says Alarcón. “But I learned we’re connected—or we have to find a way to connect with them.”

“Parent Voices keeps us informed”

Adelina Sanchez traveled to Washington, D.C. with the Equal Voice campaign to advocate for child care funding in the federal stimulus package. “(It) was hanging in the balance,” she recalls. “We went to put a face on the issues.” They shared personal stories, photographs, and statistics. “One of the mothers in the group had stopped going to work because child care was too expensive,” she adds.

Sanchez has been involved in local advocacy, but this was the first time she “had taken part in something so large and meaningful.” Before she met with congressional aides, she says, she wondered “will they really care?” But an aide told her, “‘We’re in D.C. and you’re way over on the West Coast. It’s very important that organizations like Parent Voices keep us informed.’”

Parent Voices contacts:

Statewide: Mary Ignatius, 415-882-0234. mignatius@rrnetwork.org

Alameda (Hayward): Jennifer Greppi, 510-584-3115,
jenniferf@4c-alameda.org

Alameda (Oakland): Janet Zamudio, 510-658-7353,
janet@bananasinc.org

Amador: Amy Jones, 209-223-1624 x109, ajones@hrcccr.org

Butte: Jane Haberman, 530-895-1677,
jhaberman@valleyoakchildren.org

Calaveras: Cheryl Berg, 209-754-1075, ext. 115, cberg@hrcccr.org

Contra Costa: Candy Duperroir, 925-778-4739, candy@cocokids.org

El Dorado: Heather Della Ripa, 530-541-5848, hscfcslt@pacbell.net

Fresno: Lourdes Hernandez, 559-456-1100, louh@cvcsn.org

Los Angeles: Dawn Lovelace, 323-421-2602,
DLovelace@crystalstairs.org

Marin: Leah Benz, 415-491-5776, leah@mc3.org

Sacramento: Rachel Minnick, 916-369-3387,
Rachel.Minnick@childaction.org

San Francisco: Maria Luz Torre, 415-343-3383,
parentvoices@childrenscouncil.org

San Joaquin: Ana Tacan, 209-461-2933, atacan@frrcsj.org

San Mateo: Child Care Coordinating Council, 650-655-5078

Santa Barbara: Children’s Resource and Referral Program, 805-962-8988

Santa Clara: Mario Del Castillo, 408-487-0747, mariod@4c.org

Solano: Kathy Lago, 707-864-4620, klago@solanosfcs.org

Sonoma: Lorie Siebler, 707-522-1413, lsiebler@sonoma4cs.org