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ARLINGTON, Va. - The Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation, through its Arlington Child Care Alliance initiative, has launched a new program to support family day home providers in Arlington. Made possible through exclusive sponsorship with Gerber, this is the first program under the Arlington Child Care Alliance to strengthen access to high-quality, affordable care for local families.
An initial session on August 27 brought together more than 20% of Arlington’s family day home providers. Providers connected with one another and shared issues and concerns that they face on a daily basis, including maintaining a sustained enrollment, outward marketing, and expansion of their facilities.
Through the program, family day home providers will gain free training, business support, stipends for their time, and a peer network to support them in sustaining and growing their child care operations. Families will gain access to a reliable network of child care options that serve their needs at a variety of different price points.
The need for greater access to affordable child care is urgent. A recent Wall Street Journal analysis identified Arlington County as the most expensive area in the United States for five years of daycare with total median cost of nearly $147,000. The June 16 Child Care Alliance kick off, which is detailed here, examined the affordability crisis facing Arlington families. The Arlington Child Care Alliance is tackling this challenge head-on, piloting innovative solutions that make child care more affordable and accessible for working families.
This new program is sponsored by Gerber, the leading baby food maker in the U.S. and a trusted partner to parents for over 95 years. Gerber’s collaboration with the Arlington Child Care Alliance builds on its Parent-Friendly Pursuit, the brand’s commitment to lightening parents’ loads, advocating for parents, building support networks, and more.
“Here at Gerber, we believe that to nourish little ones, we need to make a better world for parents. We are proud to share in the mission of the Arlington Child Care Alliance to advocate for parents and grant them affordable childcare through access to reliable support networks,” said Meghan Bhatia, Marketing Director at Gerber. “Through this new program initiative, we’ll be able to directly support Arlington families now and hopefully for generations to come.”
"The Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation is thrilled to partner with Gerber on this impactful program," said Arlington Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates. "Gerber is a tremendous champion for children and parents, and their commitment to building support networks make them a perfect partner for this network. Family day home providers are crucial to the child care ecosystem, and this network, made possible by Gerber, will give them tools and resources to thrive."
Through this partnership, Gerber and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce Foundation will work together to help expand access, stabilize small businesses, and empower caregivers to remain in the workforce.
To learn more about Gerber and its Parent-Friendly Pursuit, please visit parents.gerber.com and @gerber on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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