When Fresno mom Keishea Pitts first received her state child care subsidy, “it changed my life,” she recalls. Pitts had been homeless and unemployed, struggling to care for her four children. She found a job and the subsidy allowed her to work and go to school. Then Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed Stage 3 child care funding in 2010—and Pitts found out her subsidy would be eliminated. Stage 3 provides child care funding for former CalWORKs recipients.

Pitts joined Parent Voices and other advocates around the state to call for the reinstatement of Stage 3 child care funding. Activism by parents played a key role in the campaign’s victory.

Advocates Form Strong Coalition

Parent Voices, other children’s advocacy groups, and legislative staff mobilized to defend Stage 3 funding. “It is a testament to the dedication and determination of advocates that organizations could come together powerfully for this important campaign,” says Kim Kruckel, Oakland Parent Voices Organizer. “There were weekly phone calls, email updates, Facebook campaigns.”

Parent Voices and legal advocacy organizations also helped four mothers file a lawsuit to override the governor’s veto. The settlement extended Stage 3 funding until the end of 2010 for most families.

Parents Work with Legislators

Parents got commitments from legislative leaders to fund Stage 3 for 2011-12. Parents met with legislators, attended hearings, and held rallies. Families who would lose subsidies sent letters and asked legislators to support legislation that would restore funding. Parent Voices leaders met with local officials and members of the Governor’s staff to monitor the legislation’s progress. At a November 2010 rally, parents presented a petition with 5,000 signatures to Governor-elect Jerry Brown.

Parent activism was powerful because parents’ voices were “real, not scripted—and that’s exactly what was needed,” says long-time parent activist Lauren Fried. She brought her four-year-old daughter to the November rally. News coverage included pictures of her daughter, which provided a powerful image of the effects the budget cuts would have on families. It has been challenging for Fried to juggle work, school, child care, and activism, she says, but she believes being a parent has helped her become a more successful activist.

Advocates Seek Alternate Funding

While parents waited for the Legislature to act, Parent Voices worked with some First 5 Commissions to extend child care for families with children under age five. Parent Voices members also participated in strategy sessions with Department of Social Services agencies to channel families to other child care programs where possible.

Funding Restored

The Legislature restored Stage 3 funding in the 2011-12 budget—and also rescinded plans to cut child care services and raise family fees. “[Parent Voices’] advocacy has been critical in saving Stage 3 and preserving state investment in early care and education,” says Assembly member Holly Mitchell. “Our efforts must now be redoubled to…ultimately to ensure that a safe healthy childhood with access to early care and education is a right instead of a privilege in America.”

Many parents who had lost subsidies are still reenrolling in Stage 3, and thousands more are on waiting lists because the state does not have enough funding for all eligible families. “There is way more [work] to be done,” says Fried.

For more information: Parent Voices, 415-882-0234, www.parentvoices.org