The Richmond Region Child Care Task Force is a partnership of public and private organizations, from government and public schools, to child care and out of school time partners in the City of Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico. The Task Force extends its hand in partnership as we work together to overcome these unprecedented times for schools, childcare programs, municipalities and community programs.
2020 Task Force Highlights:
- The partnership brought together a diverse network of public-private stakeholders, including local government, schools, childcare programs, for profit and nonprofit organizations, philanthropy and state leaders to address the impacts of COVID-19 on our region’s families and children as it relates to child care and access to safe learning spaces.
- The group began its work in the City of Richmond and then expanded to include the counties of Chesterfield and Henrico to create a regional partnership.
- Data collection from parents and programs informed advocacy efforts that resulted in concrete wins for families, children and organizations.
- The Task Force has provided valuable links and created new partnerships across jurisdictions.
- Partners focused on real-time events faced by families and programs to drive Task Force priorities and community-level responses.
- Work groups from the task force focused on a variety of emerging topics, including:
- Messaging to families, including virtual town halls to help parents make informed decisions about returning to childcare.
- Virtual meetings for childcare programs to learn about resources, and to share their experiences.
- Critical supply distributions in May, November and December to provide PPE, cleaning supplies and links to additional resources.
- Data collection from childcare programs around COVID-19 impacts and likely closures which informed public awareness and important advocacy efforts.
- A partnership among early childhood and out-of-school-time providers to advocate for stronger partnerships between schools, government, and childcare and out-of-school time programs.
2021 Task Force Priorities as we “Rebuild Better” in the Richmond region:
Priority 1
Continue to adapt and respond to real-time COVID-19 impacts for childcare and out-of-school time programs
Priority 2
Identify concrete staffing solutions for childcare and out-of-school time programs
Priority 3
Expand on successful mixed delivery models to provide a blueprint for expansion of public-private partnerships that will create greater access for families
Priority 4
Advocate for transportation solutions that serve families and children most in need
Priority 5
In the City of Richmond, support mayor’s initiative for universal preschool
Priority 6
Advocate for incentives and trainings that will allow programs to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape in response to the need for safe learning spaces
Priority 7
Work among jurisdictions and partners to continue to identify viable spaces for safe learning for children
Priority 8
Use data and stories from programs and families to advocate for significantly greater public investment in childcare and out-of-school time programs at the local, state and federal levels
