Advocating for Childcare Funding and Resources with US Senator Tim Kaine

The Ready Region Blue Ridge team at United Way of Greater Charlottesville (UWGC) received two recent opportunities to meet with U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and advocate for childcare funding and resources. 

In August, Meredith Locascio, VP of Impact, School Readiness, and Ravi Cooper, President & CEO, joined Kaine at a nonprofit summit in Winchester, Virginia. Here, local nonprofits from across the state shared with Senator Kaine about the impact of recent federal funding cuts on their operations. He projected that the cuts–and more that were expected–will result in many Virginia-based federal employees and contractors losing their jobs, putting heavy financial strain on their families and communities. 

Considering the financial commitment of childcare, which is what allows many parents to maintain or seek full-time employment–highlights the urgent need for help for families. Locascio shared with Senator Kaine that the average cost for Virginian families to send a child to childcare ranges “from $15,000 to $20,000 a year, the same cost as a college tuition.” Now more than ever, is when organizations like Ready Region Blue Ridge must continue to advocate for increased access for affordable childcare throughout our communities. 

Our team was able to touch base with Senator Kaine again in September to demonstrate more of the impact of supporting families through accessible childcare. He joined Locascio and Cooper to tour Barrett Early Learning Center, the oldest continuously operating childcare center in Virginia. The tour involved Locascio and Cooper sharing updates with Governor Kaine on local early childhood initiatives in addition to discussing new strategies around the accessibility and affordability of childcare and the early childhood workforce. 

Founded in Charlottesville in 1935, Barrett has been an anchor partner since the start of our Mixed Delivery program, modeling high-quality care with strong CLASS scores and excellent staff retention. UWGC has been a partner with Barrett since 1944–81 years ago–when it sponsored Barrett as one of ten “Red Feather Agencies.” Now working with Barrett through the Ready Region Blue Ridge team, UWGC has given $1.65 million since 2021 for 123 Pre-K and toddler childcare slots. Senator Kaine was able to witness how Barret sets a clear example of how we can expand region-wide access to childcare and how partnerships create programs that last and work. 

Each of these meetings with Senator Kaine allowed our team to help demonstrate what is possible when communities come together and why it is so necessary to do so. When nonprofits, schools, and employers work together to support families and the workforce, communities can truly thrive.