All-in Advocacy - By Lisa Burnett (Mother to Livia Bane, Region 4 Council Manager)

As a working mother in the early 1980s with an infant daughter, I worried about finding child care. Even with the best preplanning in place to have Livia with me at work (it was a family business, or this would never have been a consideration), it soon became inevitable that I needed outside help in order to be more productive in my work, and for her to thrive and receive the attention she deserved.

I was fortunate to have found child care that was not only close in proximity to my work, but one that had openings, caregivers I liked, and was affordable. It was a miracle, too, I thought, when I found the director herself had an infant, and had even provided a room that was available for other nursing mothers.

At some early point...I think it was before a month had passed...the director decided she was also unable to meet her obligations at work, and quit. Soon, luckily, a new director came in. She was also good.

When you have people providing care for your child, you become very close with them. The continuity of care and wellbeing of those caregivers to be able to stay in their job became very important. I knew they barely eked out a living, and I also knew and trusted their expertise.

When the cry for help came to encourage lawmakers to continue to fund child care and providers, my family and I were all-in. It was the least we could do for all they offered us.

I think the reason I kept the correspondence was to show Livia how important she was and is. I also think history matters. Sadly, in this instance, although decades have passed, not enough has changed.

I am so grateful that Livia takes the torch now, along with Kelly, and their same-minded co-workers at Birth to Five Illinois, and that the leaders recognized there's maybe something to be learned and shared here. It's so exciting to think that someday soon, every parent may have equal, available, and affordable child care, and that caregivers can finally be given the credit and wages that they deserve.