FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you called a network? What’s the difference between a network and a coalition?

We were founded as a multi-organizational and movement-oriented network. We are not an organization, entity, or campaign. We’re here for the long-term—and how we look at this work and the way we do it will shift as political climates change and wins start to happen. 

Our network includes coalitions, organizations, and individuals all united to win universal child care. We’re here for the long-haul. We decided to be a network rather than a coalition or campaign so that we can:

• center equity
• align and build trust among those working with different constituencies (i.e. parents and early childhood educators/providers), in different communities (across the country, urban/rural and racial/ethnic identities), geographies (local, state and national) and building different types of expertise (early childhood development, racial and gender justice, worker justice, etc)
• leverage existing strengths and capacities (in organizing, state policy, federal policy, research, training/assistance, service provision, communications, etc) and reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts
• build power by supporting organizing within and across constituencies and movements and build momentum across local and state action that builds toward federal action
• support peer-to-peer learning and uplift and scale break-through change strategies that move us towards our shared goals and greater equity
• win critical joint campaigns 
• experiment with new approaches
• fill missing gaps where we lack capacity and/or coordination to advance our shared goals (see Attachment B for some initial ideas of gaps and coordination needs)

You can learn more about networks and the power they have in movements here.

How is what you’re doing any different than what has already been done? 

We’re the first united network of over 1,500 national and state organizations, organizers, families, and child care providers working together to pass universal child care in a way that centers racial and gender justice. We’ve spent intentional time building a strong foundation together so that we can be in this movement for the long-haul. 

Our staff team is made up of folks with direct lived experience with the child care crisis who have spent decades organizing at the state level to lead strong movements and pass winning campaigns. We collectively have roots in the labor movement, racial and gender justice work, and community organizing. Our co-directors include Erica Gallegos and Andrea Paluso, who led coalitions and movements to major child care victories in New Mexico and Oregon respectively.