Today's
#ChildCare policies still bear the marks of centuries of racist laws. A thread.
**
Based on a presentation originally created by
@ParentVoicesCA,
@CARRNetwork,
@childcarelaw

Slavery: Enslaved Black women are forced to care for & breastfeed White children.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /2

The New Deal: Domestic workers (like child care providers) & farm workers are written out of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 because they are not White, while White “professional” workers gain labor rights.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /3

1950s+: Black women are limited to jobs in domestic work & paid poverty wages by design. White people continue to write & benefit from racist laws that allow them to acquire more wealth.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /4

1980s-90s: Reagan equates Black women w fraud & laziness using the 'welfare queen' lie. Govt programs require families to prove they're 'deserving.' Meanwhile, a White owning-class benefits from billions in corporate welfare $ in a 'trickle-down' economy proven not to work. /5

Today: Half of child care providers are forced to live at or near the federal poverty line. State & federal policies underfund child care, avoid protections for workers, & uphold the legacy of racism.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /6

Today's
#ChildCare policies still bear the marks of centuries of racist laws. No seed planted in racist soil can offer justice.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /7

We are uprooting racist child care policies & seeding NEW policies for
#RacialEquity. Folks who have been pushed down are now leading the way.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /8

Here's what you can do:

Support movements led by parents, families, & child care providers.

Share your own stories & experiences whenever it feels safe & empowering.

Create policies based on inclusion, not exclusion.
#ChildCarePolicy #RacistRoots /9

An Important Note: Racism is not the only 'ism' at play in biased child care policies. The owning class benefits & keeps power through many forms of inequality:
#Classism #Ageism #ReligiousOppression #Racism #Ableism #Adultism #Heterosexism #Misogyny #Xenophobia. /10
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