“I’m a single mother and I don’t have a lot of money to pay for good child care,” says Aide Lopez, an Oakland mom. “People like me need (child care subsidies).” Lopez and other Oakland Parent Voices members rallied in June in front of the governor’s district office. Parents called for more funds for subsidized child care and for more frequent inspections of child care programs.

“Everyone was supportive”

“Child care is very expensive and we all need child care to go to work,” says Matthew Raynor, an Oakland father of four. “I wanted to go (to the rally) and represent the fathers.”

“My baby motivated me to get involved,” says Lopez. “I brought some of my friends (to the rally).” This was her first advocacy event with Parent Voices, but “everyone was supportive, so I don’t get embarrassed to ask for something for my baby. It wasn’t hard,” she adds.

“We felt really powerful”

Parents delivered Father’s Day cards and a petition calling for more child care funds to the governor’s office—and put out shoes to represent children on the waiting list for subsidized child care. “We were marching and singing and we felt really, really powerful about what we were doing,” recalls Raynor.

Parents spoke with an aide to the governor who advised them to write a letter asking for an appointment with the governor. “Some parents wrote a letter on the spot, but we haven’t heard about any appointment yet,” says Lopez.

“Coming together”

“(In) Parent Voices, everyone’s helping each other,” says Lopez. “You’re always going to be heard and sometimes you can solve your problems.”

“It’s important to organize,” says Raynor. “Instead of just talking, you’re actually taking steps to accomplish something. I really enjoy the way parents come together and being a group with one goal. I love my kids—if there’s anything that benefits my kids, that’s what I’m into.”

Take Action: Contact Parent Voices to find out how

• Advocate for a “fair budget:” By press time, the Legislature hadn’t passed next year’s budget. Advocates call for a budget that doesn’t target poor children and families.
  
  
• More federal funds for child care: The House proposes a $75 million increase in the Child Care Development Block Grant. Join Parent Voices in urging the Senate to pass a funding increase.

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: Brenda Bullington, 209-223-1624, ext. 109, Brenda@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 Ángeles: Christine Giron, 323-421-2602, cgiron@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 Mateo: Nelly Puhachevsky, 650-655-6770, ext. 283, nelly@sanmateo4cs.org
Santa Barbara: contact statewide organizers
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