The Child Care for Every Family Network is thrilled to welcome Erica Gallegos and Andrea Paluso as co-executive directors. They have deep expertise in child care advocacy, building movements, and organizing successful campaigns in New Mexico and Oregon. In partnership with grassroots organizers, parents, and child care providers, their experience and vision will unite our movement for universal access to equitable, high-quality, affordable and culturally relevant child care.

The Child Care for Every Family Network is made up of diverse organizations, state partners, caregivers, parents and child care providers that have come together to create transformative change to our nation’s child care system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made visible what has long been clear to those most impacted: the current child care system is not working. Without access to child care, our society’s ability to function—and function equitably—grinds to a halt. Yet, child care has been chronically under-resourced, under-funded, and at the national level, bold change has long been undermined in favor of short-term “fixes.”

“Child care is an essential part of the larger movement toward equity in our country,” Erica said. “The reality is that when child care isn’t accessible, many women, and especially women of color, can’t work or participate in civic life. We’re being very intentional about uplifting the leadership and expertise of women of color who have been on the front lines of this issue from the beginning.”

Now, with a growing groundswell of public support, The Child Care for Every Family Network is building a movement that is rooted in gender and racial equity and powered by the expertise of parents, providers and advocates, state-based organizers, communities of color and low-income communities. The Network is investing in building long-term community power that guides our elected leaders toward lasting change envisioned by those most impacted. Together, we can create a care system that meets every family’s needs and gives everyone the opportunity to thrive.

“We deserve community care regardless of what we do or who we are. We want to see a system that starts with valuing our human need for care and connection,” Andrea said. “That kind of community care must be treated as a public good necessary for communities to thrive.”

Erica Gallegos is a movement leader with firsthand experience in the field as a former Early Childhood Education teacher, and a mom of two kids. Most recently, Erica was the policy director for the Organizers in the Land of Enchantment (OLÉ) where she worked in coalition to move the successful landmark campaign for a constitutional right to early education in New Mexico.

Andrea Paluso is a community activist with roots in social work, and a mom of two kids. Most recently, she was the executive director for Family Forward Oregon and Family Forward Action, organizations in Oregon fighting for economic justice for mamas and caregivers, including advocating for transformational investments in making child care affordable and accessible and ensuring better wages for providers, as well as other economic supports for families like paid family and medical leave, pay equity, paid sick time, pregnancy accommodations and more.