Our Big Vision

The Grassroots Movement for Child Care and Early Education is facilitated by the ECE Organizing Network, a group of diverse national organizations across the country united by a commitment to grassroots organizing to expand affordable child care and early education and a shared economic, racial, and gender justice lens in their work. This "Big Vision" outlines a set of shared principles as we engage in this collaborative work.

We envision a world where…

high-quality childcare and early education for kids ages 0-13, and older children with disabilities - is affordable, accessible, guaranteed to everyone, and prioritized as a public investment, and

families who are marginalized because of class, race, disability, family structure, and/or immigration status are able to access quality, affordable care, and

childcare options receive public funding to serve the diverse needs and preferences of families, including culturally- and linguistically competent care options, home-based care and care during non-standard hours that is available when and where families need it (weekends, after school, nights, when job schedules change, and in areas that are currently childcare deserts), and

early educators are paid, at a minimum, a living wage with benefits, are able to work with dignity, are empowered to use their voice on the job, and able to join a professional organization like a union; are well-trained and fairly compensated; reflect the diversity of families served, and

early educators who have degrees, credentials, or demonstrated competency levels equivalent with K-12 teachers are compensated at the same level, and

childcare policy addresses social justice goals, including addressing historic discrimination based on race, sex, ability, gender identity and sexuality, and

all stakeholders – parents, early educators and other providers – have a real voice and meaningful role in shaping and refining the system, and

public funding expands with need and is inclusive of the above principles.