Emma S. - Educator

“I have been in the Early Childhood Education field for 2 years. I started in this field because I wanted to see and learn how children grow over the years and help them have the best experiences they can. I feel that a struggle I see a lot is families don't have much access to childcare facilities that they can go to at early hours or whenever they are needed. We need more educators in the field that are willing to set up hours for the parents/family members that are working so they don't end up losing their jobs. Some people don't have a choice and can't change the hours they work so I feel that we need more educators out there to have more availability and are willing to work with the parent/guardian on a good schedule.”

What else should lawmakers and policymakers know about your needs as an educator, especially as we recover from the COVID-19 crisis?

“I would just like them to know that more families than usual in these hard times need more childcare facilities with a flexible schedule to send their children to in order to keep the job they have during this time.”