Minnesota Childcare Leader a Part of President Biden’s First Address to Congress
Plymouth, Minn. (April 29, 2021) – Chad Dunkley, CEO of New Horizon Academy and president of the Minnesota Child Care Association (MCCA) was invited by U.S. Senator Tina Smith to participate in President Biden’s first address to Congress. Dunkley’s participation in the address included a virtual reception prior to the President’s address and inclusion in social media posts.
U.S. Senator Smith intentionally reached out to Dunkley in the early days of pandemic to ensure the childcare industry had the financial supports necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was during this conversation that U.S. Senator Smith realized just how dire the situation was for the childcare industry. At New Horizon Academy, enrollment dropped by over 70 percent in a matter of a few weeks, and yet we were asked to remain open in order to serve the families of frontline workers who relied on our services to help fight the pandemic. We thank Senator Smith for her commitment to supporting childcare during the pandemic and making long-term investments in childcare infrastructure moving forward.
Last night, President Biden proposed significant new investments to help families in the United States afford childcare for children birth through five years of age, including that low- and moderate-income families should pay no more than 7 percent of their income toward the cost of high-quality childcare and permanently extending tax credits for families. Biden also proposed more funding to help families access high-quality pre-K in the setting and community of their choice. These investments in those who want to grow their families in this country are long overdue.
The current economic model for childcare is broken, and the pandemic brought these issues to the top of the agenda for democrats and republicans alike.
“It’s a testament to the hard work we have been doing to call attention to the fragility of our industry – from childcare deserts in rural areas to universal accessibility to high-quality early education,” said Dunkley. Today, 51 percent of the population of the United States currently lives in a childcare desert. “It took a global pandemic to expose the vulnerability of the industry, which is truly the backbone of the economy. Affordability and accessibility have been exposed: women were already choosing not to have children because of the cost of childcare, birth rates were dropping, or women were quitting their jobs to care for their children. Providers were closing their doors because their businesses were not viable, and employees were not choosing or were dropping out of the profession because they could not earn a livable wage. This was pre-pandemic. COVID-19 was the final straw for everyone in childcare. The good news is now the nation is aware that the system is broken. It’s not viable for anyone involved: families, providers, or employees.”
