Join us for this program designed specifically for our members who serve rural communities. This week we will discuss strengthening rural childcare systems. 

Almost 2/3 of rural families live in child care deserts and the availability of infant care is even more limited. Family care homes and less formal childcare arrangements have an outsized presence in rural America. Barriers to developing strong rural early childhood systems of care include everything from daunting business models to distances for travel and availability of a trained workforce. In this session, you will hear from those working to strengthen these systems from around the country including efforts embedded within funder structures as well as nonprofits supported by funders.

Speakers

Meghan Ballenger is the network director of the Montana Child Care Resource & Referral Network. Meghan earned her undergraduate and graduate degree in the field of social work in her home state of North Carolina. Meghan believes every child and family deserves love, care and access to a successful future. Access to a successful future begins with quality early care and education. Meghan has lofty aspirations for her work at the Resource & Referral Network. Meghan aims to increase the public’s perception of the professionalism of child care including securing pay increases for the child care workforce. After ensuring a living wage for child care professionals, Meghan seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of child care statewide.  

 

Rasheed Malik is a senior policy analyst for Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress. His work focuses on child care supply and demand, particularly the study of child care deserts, as well as the economic benefits of child care. Rasheed’s research has been featured in or cited by The New York Times, Vox, The Washington Post and NPR, among others. Recently, he delivered expert testimony before the House Ways and Means subcommittee on the child care crisis and the coronavirus pandemic. Rasheed holds a master’s degree in public policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Baruch College.

 

Aly Richards (she/her/hers) is the chief executive officer of Let’s Grow Kids, Vermont’s movement to secure affordable access to high-quality child care by 2025. Prior to joining the organization in 2015, Richards served as the deputy chief of staff for Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin where she led several efforts to support early childhood education, including winning competitive federal grants totaling $70 million and supporting the passage of universal prekindergarten. Richards was selected as a 2013 Toll Fellow by the Council of State Governments and as the 2014 Vermont Champion for Education by the New England Secondary School Consortium. Richards also served on the 2008 Obama Campaign and graduated with honors from Brown University. Richards currently serves as a trustee of University of Vermont Medical Center and the Vermont Council on Rural Development and was recently named a Changemaker for Children by Save the Children. Her relationship with this mission expanded in November 2018 when she gave birth to identical twin boys, and after searching for nearly a year, secured high-quality child care!

 

Please contact Mares Asfaha with any questions.