Four years ago Trudi Bryant-Williams was told she made too much money to receive a child care subsidy—but she knew she needed one! So she got involved with Parent Voices and learned “how we could fight for support for low-income parents.”

Fast forward to the present:  Bryant-Williams is now part of a group of Parent Voices members who meet regularly with officials at the California Department of Education, “to question and to get an understanding of what they are doing“—and  “to let them know about what we need!”

Developing a relationship

Parent Voices started meeting with CDE in 2007, says Bryant-Williams, “to find out who they were and to learn more about their decision process. (And) we wanted to develop a relationship with them.  We wanted to be someone to be reckoned with, so that the people at the Department of Education would be like, ‘I know these people’ and ‘Let’s see how we can support them.”

Bryant-Williams, an Emeryville mother to five-  and six-year-old daughters Amber and Autumn, says the meetings have grown into “an ongoing relationship.  There is that respect where they allow us to talk and we’re trying to work together to solve these issues.”

Parents’ priorities

Parent Voices members have emphasized, for example, the need for a focus on infants and toddlers—and the need for more child care subsidy funds.

In the discussions, says Bryant-Williams,  “the comfort level is good, because some of these people have grandchildren and children.  As far as wanting the best for our children, those are the thoughts of all parents. ”

Being considered

“What I appreciate about them,” she adds, “is that they did listen.  They tell us that they would like to work with us, so my hope is that they are truly committed to that.”

The meetings have already had an impact, says statewide Parent Voices organizer Mary Ignatius. At recent budget hearings, “I’ve heard (CDE) speak more about the families on the waiting list for child care.” Parent Voices was also invited to a recent CDE “stakeholders” meeting.  Without the meetings, says Ignatius, “I don’t think we would have been considered.”

Stand for Children

May 6. 2009, Sacramento

Don’t miss out on the most empowering day of the year! Join 600 parents for a march and rally on the Capitol steps. For details call your local organizer or 415-882-0234.

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