Declaring May 10, 2024 as "Child Care Provider Appreciation Day in the City of Philadelphia, and recognizing the essential value that child care providers have in our community.

Declaring May 10, 2024 as “Child Care Provider Appreciation Day in the City of Philadelphia, and recognizing the essential value that child care providers have in our community. WHEREAS, Child Care Aware of America and other organizations nationwide, including Voice of ECE in Philadelphia, are recognizing Child Care Providers on this day; and WHEREAS, Child care is the backbone of a healthy family and a healthy economy. Child care providers create conditions for child development and a safe, nurturing environment for children to grow and learn. Child care is critical for parents to work and sustain a job, and child care itself creates millions of jobs and billions of dollars of economic contribution annually. Early child care support systems and high-quality child care reduces the gap between children across the socioeconomic spectrum, leading to additional opportunities in literacy, math, science, and socialization. Child care has provided a safe, nurturing place for the enrichment and development of millions of children nationwide and is a vital force in our economy; and WHEREAS, The pandemic illuminated how indispensable child care providers are for the well-being and economic security of Philadelphia, young children, families, and communities; and WHEREAS, Child care programs, which are mostly small businesses, run and staffed predominantly by women, continue to recover from the health and financial hardships stemming from the pandemic to meet the needs of more families; …