What is radical childcare? Why do we need it?

Radical childcare is an understanding that the well-being of children should not be a commodity tobe bought and sold. Radical childcare is free for those who need it. It means cacregivers who areengaged with children and (other) parents. It means fostering meaningful relationships and encouragingprogressive values in little ones, because movements must be intergenerational. It is a necessityfor progressive movement-building. In many places, progressive spaces are not child-friendly orwelcoming to parents. When organizers do not create child-friendly spaces or provide child care fortheir events and meetings, parents, especially low-income parents, are excluded from these spaces.Low-income parents are already at huge disadvantages in many ways, including having less time tocontribute to radical causes. Parents’ involvement is absolutely essential to building a movement forradical social change.
There are many layers of oppression that effect poor parents, and especially poor mothers, of theUS. Privatized childcare is one part of a relentlessly oppressive system which puts them at anoverwhelming disadvantage. Sending a child to daycare for a year can cost about the same as sendingone to a public university. Parents pay hundreds a week so that they can go to work to provide for theirfamilies. Government programs for subsidized childcare are notoriously underfunded, especially herein Georgia, where we have the Children and Parents Service (CAPS) program.

Clearly, the well-being of families is not a priority to our federal or state governments.

Here are some facts:

• There are over 1.4 million people living in poverty in Georgia (according to the Census Bureau.) Most of these people are women and children, and most of them certainly are not receiving subsidized childcare. This system makes it incredibly difficult to find ways to provide free, quality care services to families in need. KCCA is working towards a volunteer-run after-school program that would benefit low-income families in Atlanta, and most of our energy is put into creating a progressive culture in which childcare is an expectation of all organizations.

• Not only is CAPS underfunded and hard to access even if one does meet the requirements,the requirements are such that any parent exclusively going to college full time is not eligible forthe program.• If one is not enrolled in school and out of work or working less than 30 hours a week, one is also not eligible. In addition to “activity requirements,” the income requirements for the CAPSprogram are also incredibly limiting and clearly not designed to decrease poverty.• A family of two can make no more than $22,400 if they want to be eligible for this program.Make $22,500 a year and no help with childcare for you!