Our Lift Every Voice (LEV) coalition grew to 90 advocates in 2024, empowering Black child care providers to champion policy change and amplify their voices at local, state, and national levels.
Continue readingLift Every Voice Impact Report
2nd Annual Lift Every Voice Advocacy Day
2nd Annual Lift Every Voice Advocacy Day
April 28, 2025
On April 16th, 2025, BlackECE held its 2nd Annual Lift Every Voice (LEV) Advocacy Day, an event dedicated to empowering and amplifying the voices of Black early care and education (ECE) providers from across California. This day was filled with advocacy, storytelling, and policy discussions aimed at dismantling the barriers Black ECE professionals face every day. Our LEV members met with legislative offices to speak directly to the people who hold the power to address these disparities in resources, wages, and more.
During the LEV Advocacy Day, our members had the opportunity to meet with key policymakers, including Senator Umberg, Senator Richardson, Assemblymember Wicks, Senator Smallwood-Cuevas, Assemblymember Stefani, Assemblymember Bonta, Senator Cabaldon, and Assemblymember Elhawary. These meetings were a powerful platform for Black educators to share their personal stories, experiences, and challenges they face in the ECE field. The ongoing fight for racial wage justice and policy reforms that support Black children, families, and providers is paramount, and LEV members made sure to highlight how these systemic issues persist in California’s child care system.
Key Issues Discussed: Our advocates spoke candidly about the systemic racism in early care and education, specifically addressing the disparities in funding, wages, and resources available to Black child care providers. As members of the LEV coalition, they brought forward critical concerns such as:
Wage Disparities: Black child care providers are consistently paid less than their white counterparts, despite similar experience and qualifications.
Access to Resources: Black early educators often lack access to professional development, quality training, and resources needed to support the children and families they serve.
Lack of Representation: The absence of Black voices in leadership positions within early education policy-making continues to undermine the effectiveness and inclusivity of California’s child care system.
The 2nd Annual LEV Advocacy Day was not just about addressing the issues at hand but also about building momentum for policy changes that will benefit Black early care and education professionals across California. The work that BlackECE does continues to make an undeniable impact, and as the Lift Every Voice coalition grows, we look forward to more victories for Black children, families, and early educators. The conversations we started in Sacramento will continue to echo throughout the state as we demand systemic change.
For more information about how to get involved or to support our advocacy work, please visit our Lift Every Voice Impact Report and see the difference you can make in the fight for racial equity and justice in early childhood education.
Lift Every Voice Impact Report
Our Lift Every Voice (LEV) coalition grew to 90 advocates in 2024, empowering Black child care providers to champion policy change and amplify their voices at local, state, and national levels.
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In July 2022, BlackECE established a series of strategic priorities with one being to fight for racial wage justice for Black early care and education providers. A month later, the Practitioner’s Voice California Fund, a grantmaking initiative to support organizations that build ECE practitioner’s power to advance equity in pay, announced a call for proposals. Read about it's impact!
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Lift Every Voice Impact Report
In July 2022, BlackECE established a series of strategic priorities with one being to fight for racial wage justice for Black early care and education providers. A month later, the Practitioner’s Voice California Fund, a grantmaking initiative to support organizations that build ECE practitioner’s power to advance equity in pay, announced a call for proposals. Read about it’s impact!
Continue readingLift Every Voice 2023
Lift Every Voice
October 6, 2023
The very first financial support BlackECE received was from the new Practioners’ Voice Fund, to uplift the voices of the Black child care workforce to address the racial wage gap. Black child care providers are paid .78 less than their white counterparts. One major reason is that Black early educators are more likely to care for infants and toddlers, the least paid role in the field.
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This Month, we launched Lift Every Voice, welcoming nearly 40 Black child care educators for a weekend of joy, restoration, and strategizing. We can show you better than we can tell you!
Are you a Black child care professional, ready to join this movement?
BlackECE was featured in the LA Times!
BlackECE in the News: Black and Latina workers bear the brunt of California’s low child-care wages, report finds February 13, 2024 The Los Angeles Times has featured a groundbreaking study
Lift Every Voice Impact Report
In July 2022, BlackECE established a series of strategic priorities with one being to fight for racial wage justice for Black early care and education providers. A month later, the Practitioner’s Voice California Fund, a grantmaking initiative to support organizations that build ECE practitioner’s power to advance equity in pay, announced a call for proposals. Read about it's impact!
Lift Every Voice Impact Report
Our Lift Every Voice (LEV) coalition grew to 90 advocates in 2024, empowering Black child care providers to champion policy change and amplify their voices at local, state, and national levels.