# Early Childhood Press Conference 5.13.25

- Date: May 14, 2025
- Type: Video
- Length: 35:23
- Topic: Press conferences
- Video: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AK8aFCd3es)
- Transcript: Machine transcription, 4,670 words ([text](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/files/transcripts/youtube/8AK8aFCd3es.txt))
- Mayor: [Brandon Johnson](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor)

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=0) Opening and introductions
- [2:11](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=131) Mayor Johnson's announcement
- [8:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=523) DFSS department overview
- [13:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=790) Community perspective
- [17:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1060) Educator and union testimony
- [23:06](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1386) Union leadership remarks
- [28:33](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1713) Q&A and closing statements

## Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson attends the Early Childhood Press Conference.

## Transcript

[0:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=35) Good morning, everybody. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you all for being here this morning. My name is Danette Connors, and I'm the Chief Learning Officer for YMCA Metropolitan Chicago. Thank you to SEIU for helping facilitate this, and thank you to Mayor Johnson and his crew for facilitating the conversation this morning. It's a very important conversation. YMCA Metropolitan Chicago is committed to strengthening our communities by connecting all people to their purpose, potential, and to each other.

[1:10](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=70) And that's demonstrated here at our North Lawndale site and across the city at over 100 different locations where we offer child care. At the cusp of that, those programs, is our workforce. And so we value our workforce and understand that they really do uplift families. Unfortunately, however, we do not have the ability to fill all of our classrooms because,

[1:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=101) not because we don't have facilities, but because we have a teacher shortage. And so the discussion today will revolve around that, is the bringing light to how we can provide resources in the community to teachers and make sure that they feel very valued. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to Mayor Johnson. Thank you for being here today. We really appreciate it. Thank you so much, Donetta, for your leadership and for the YMCA.

[2:17](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=137) Just bringing back so many memories. When I worked for the YMCA of Chicago, the New City YMCA in Cabrini-Green, and just the value of child care providers, having served as a child care provider, I was just reminiscing with my wife this morning because when she married me, I was in child care, and I was earning $6.25 an hour.

[2:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=168) listen y'all didn't have to do it like that I mean listen listen I know I put my wife through a lot but you all understand that we are showing up for families every single day and it's about time that we have salaries that show up for the people who are showing up for the families and I want to thank my lovely wife for putting up with me for these last 26 years but you know I quote a scripture Matthew 6 21 you know the Bible says where your treasure is there

[3:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=200) your heart will be also. And our city's heart is with the children of this city. And when we invest in Chicago's youngest children, we undoubtedly are building a better, stronger, much safer Chicago, but we're also building a more equitable future for our people. Investing in early care and education is proven to be a transformative way to support our children and our young people. Research is clear that investing in the first five years of life has the greatest impact on our children and their development.

[3:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=237) Study after study shows the benefit beyond health and education that a single child can be transformed by those early investments. It's also a multi-generational impact on families. and we know that for too long our child care workers have not been seen and valued. They are the people and the spirit behind the child's success.

[4:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=275) These are the people that families drop their children off to every single day. I remember the after school program that I was also a part of and being in that school-age group where you're helping with homework, you're helping them mediate, you're helping them to learn the skills of conflict resolution. They're teaching you patience as an educator. And so today we are putting a down payment specifically on the workforce that's behind the workforce.

[5:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=313) Now, I have to give this special shout out to SEIU Healthcare. And, you know, SEIU Healthcare is a tough group of people. And that's what's necessary in a city where we're going to make sure that these tough workers know that we will always remain the most pro-worker city in America.

[5:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=348) I'm going to give a special shout-out, and I know she's going to be embarrassed, but she looks amazing today, by the way, Erica freaking Bland. And she doesn't like the spotlight, but, you know, one of the driving forces behind the fact that the current average salary for non-federally funded early care and education professionals in Chicago is roughly around $35,000 a year. These workers are critical to the fabric of our city, and we need to ensure that they get to serve our children

[6:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=380) and they can afford to have child care themselves. So these are the families that we have to invest in in order for us to be a thriving city. And that's why I'm proud to announce today that we are putting a down payment and investment of $7 million into our city's budget, of $7 million for the first time to go towards the down payment

[6:50](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=410) and true compensation increase for our early care and education professionals. I'm also grateful to DFSS, who worked with the Center for Early Learning Funding Equity to assess how we can impact more lives with this investment. And under my administration, Chicago will always remain, again, the most pro-worker city in America, but also a safe, affordable city where every single neighborhood can thrive.

[7:27](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=447) Investments like these will help us reach that goal. And so this comes at a critical time when our federal government is threatening to disinvest in us, and especially education. But here in the city of Chicago, regardless of who is in the White House, the Johnson administration will always invest in children and our workers. So I'm proud to affirm their value, their dignity with this investment.

[8:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=481) It's going to take all of us. I'm grateful that we have at least two alders that I can see. Sam Nugent and Jeanette Taylor, thank you both for being here. And again, I want to express my deep gratitude for our Department of Family and Support Services for working with SEIU and all of our child care providers to make this become a reality. And with that, help me welcome our Interim DFSS Commissioner, Ms. Maura McCauley.

[8:43](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=523) Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Thank you to the YMCA for hosting us today, and thank you, Mayor Johnson, for the introduction. My name is Maura McCauley, and it is my privilege to serve as the Acting Commissioner at the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services. It's also a pleasure to be here with all of you today in recognition of the city's deep commitment to maintaining a strong early childhood education landscape. It's imperative that we work to increase our investment in the delegate agencies and workers who ensure day in and day out

[9:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=556) that Chicago's youngest residents are receiving the education and care they need and deserve. And as a parent myself who has used child care programs in preschool, I know personally how important the staff who I trusted my child with were, and I think it's, I'm very excited that we're partnering on this investment to make sure that those staff and their families have what they need to live comfortably and engage in their communities. This work hinges on a strong early

[9:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=589) childhood education workforce and the sustainability of that workforce hinges on our investment in those workers and in turn their families. Mayor Johnson's deep experience as an educator and a labor organizer is a key driver in the $7 million commitment towards pay parity for our early learning providers. It's a meaningful step toward equitable wage structures across the city's early learning system. I'd like to take a moment to share a bit more about this system.

[10:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=619) The philosophy of Chicago's early learning programs for children is based on the principle that quality learning experiences are essential to a child's social, emotional, physical, verbal, and cognitive development, and every child deserves the opportunity to learn. DFSS's Children's Services Division, led by Deputy Commissioner Sarathel Burgess-Burnett, who is here somewhere, supports early learning programs across 86 community-based agencies, along with many other child care partners in the room.

[10:54](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=654) Together, we serve children and families birth through age 5, as well as expectant parents. Families access full daycare in licensed centers or daycare homes. This includes our city's most vulnerable families, including those experiencing homelessness and children in foster care. The programs offered include Head Start, Early Head Start, Preschool for All, and Prevention Initiative and doula specialized services for prenatal parents. Thanks to Mayor Johnson's $7 million investment, staff employed by all 86 community-based agencies that are funded through DFSS will receive wage increases.

[11:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=694) That includes teachers, teacher assistants, family support staff, and others in roles that are critical to the daily operations of these programs. I'm proud to say our commitment to pay parity is also progressing in other ways. The Children's Services Division has formed a new partnership with the Center for Early Learning Funding Equity, or SELFIE, at Northern Illinois University. Together, we will be conducting research on alternative funding models to implement a more equitable pay structure in DFSS's future requests for proposals for early learning service programs.

[12:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=728) This work is a valuable step toward ensuring we will be advancing pay parity for early childhood workers well into the future. We all recognize the uncertainty of this moment given ongoing changes at the federal level. In response to this uncertainty, DFSS will be extending its current state and federally funded contractors with our early learning service providers for one year as we operationalize this new funding. As we await further information and outcomes on many fronts, Mayor Johnson's administration, including DFSS, is taking action to ensure we are increasing support for early childhood education and early learning workers.

[12:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=765) Thank you for being here today in celebration and in solidarity as we reinforce our commitment to this work that means so much to us, to our city, and most importantly, to our children. And I will now introduce Ms. Rocio Garcia. Good morning. Good morning. Buenos dias. Buenos dias. My name is Rocio Garcia, R-O-C-I-O-G-A-R-C-I-A, and I'm the Senior Organizing Director with the Grassroots Collaborative.

[13:23](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=803) We're a coalition of community and labor partners building power among working families. I stand before you today also as a worker who started working at the age of 13. I also am a working mom, and as a working mom of an energetic and very curious four-year-old, I'm thrilled to see this progress and these changes, and I also know that it's a step forward. I also know that in my experience, my challenges, there are many other moms and parents who are struggling in the same way.

[14:01](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=841) I joined this campaign because of my own experience dealing with the challenges of securing child care that is culturally responsive, that is affordable, and that's in my own neighborhood, so that I can keep working and paying my rent and paying my bills. When I first started looking for a child care center near me, I learned that there were few and many were at capacity. At the center in the southwest side, I was told at one center, because I looked everywhere,

[14:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=874) I was told that there was a wait list long enough to open a new classroom, but that they were having a challenge finding teachers to fill those roles. Clearly, I wasn't the only parent in that struggle, and that's why I stand here today. That's when I joined the Child Care for All Coalition, and I learned that especially in black and brown communities across Chicago, teachers were leaving child care centers at a rapid rate, and centers have had to close their doors.

[15:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=904) Being forced to close doors because workers cannot afford to live under the current wages is not right. It's not right that centers must compete with the rising costs of unaffordable rents and mortgages your staff must pay. It really jeopardizes our little ones, the ones who will grow up to attend our public schools, the ones who will become the leaders in Chicago, our great city. In fact, currently, my child's daycare provider has made the difficult choice to shutter its doors after 25 years in operation of providing care, love, and support to families like mine, and that's not right.

[15:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=942) My child's teacher has shared with me that it's never been a lucrative job. And she's done it, and she's never done it for the money. But now more than ever, she's struggling to stay open. And after decades long, this is a type of care that parents like me look for. Child care providers deserve living wages that are competitive with Chicago's economy. It's critical to highlight that this crisis is deeply, deeply tied to the wages and working conditions of child care workers.

[16:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=973) When child care workers aren't paid fair, livable wages, it creates turnover and staffing shortages, making it difficult for programs to stay open and provide consistent quality care. Chicago, my city, is a town made up of working families like mine, and Chicago must take good care of its people. Paying child care workers fair wages is not just about valuing their hard work. It's about ensuring that families like mine can rely on stable, high-quality child care.

[16:45](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1005) And today feels like we're turning a page in the right direction. And I'm so grateful for the leadership of our mayor, Mayor Brandon Johnson. I'm grateful for the workers and families who have joined this fight. And this fight is not over. I'm excited to stand with you and celebrate the increase in wages this year and believe this is a step in the right direction and our coalition will continue to fight for increase in wages for all workers

[17:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1040) who are providing child care in centers across Chicago. This helps to create a system that works for everyone, parents, children, and the dedicated workers who provide this essential care for our families. Thank you. Gracias. Up next, we will hear from Ms. Tahiti Hammer. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Tahiti Hamer. I am an early childhood teacher and a proud executive board member of SEIU Healthcare Illinois. I am happy to welcome Mayor Brayer, Brandon Johnson, as a member of the Chicago City Council here to North Lawndale YMCA, where I teach in a classroom of students ages zero to three years of age.

[18:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1101) I am excited beyond words to celebrate the city of Chicago's new investment in early childhood education. The best part of my day as an early childhood teacher is our morning meet and greets. Seeing the smiles on children's faces when they come in the door brings me joy. Children's learning starts from the moment they're born, and I'm honored to be one of their first teachers. For 25 years, I've struggled to support myself and my own children, who are now the ages 11 and 15.

[18:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1138) And on early childhood teacher salary, it's not enough. I am not alone. There are more than 3,000 early childhood workers like me working in the City of Chicago funded programs. Most are women of color like me. I've watched as my co-workers have left the field, taking jobs at Walmart, becoming doublers. That's not okay. The low pay and the high stress means new teachers aren't entering the field to take their places.

[19:36](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1176) For those of us who stay, that means less support. We work through our prep time. It's hard to eat lunch or to use the restroom. For kids, it means the family's faces they're used to seeing every day are gone, and there are fewer staff to support them. And it is hard for parents, too, who are entrusting us with their children every day so that they can work and who faces a huge burden when classrooms closes

[20:08](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1208) because there are not enough staff to keep them open. For years, parents and teachers have sounded the alarm on the child care workforce crisis and what it means for early educators, children, and families. United in SEIU and the Child Care for All Coalition, we've rallied. We've signed petitions. We held city council's subjective matters, hearing callings on the city of Chicago to address the workforce crisis by investing in early childhood workers.

[20:41](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1241) We are here today because Mayor Johnson and the City Council listen to the voices of organized early childhood workers, parents, and the community who have had a vision for a good job's child care is for all. Together, we took the first step towards making early childhood jobs one that would support workers and our families. This will make it possible for the child care centers to stay open to serve kids and families who need early child care education now.

[21:19](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1279) But we can't stop here. Today, I am calling on Mayor Johnson and the city council. Right in front of me. Well, y'all heard it from the mayor himself. We have more work to do to make sure that every childhood teacher earns a living wage,

[21:53](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1313) just like early childhood teachers in Chicago public schools. In our Child Care for All Coalition, we believe all parents and children should have free, high quality, early learning, and all that all child care workers should have, good union jobs that pay a fair wage. It is going to take all of us workers, parents,

[22:29](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1349) community, providers, and elected leaders working together to make that a reality. So when we fight, we win. When we fight, we win. When we fight, we win. The podium is my lovely, lovely, can't say enough about him, Ms. Brim. All right, Brim.

[23:00](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1380) All right, Brim. All right, thank you, Tahiti. Good morning. Good morning. My name is Brim Seibert, B-R-Y-N-N-S-E-I-B-E-R-T. I'm the Vice President at SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Director of the Union's Child Care and Early Learning Division. We represent more than 6,000 child care providers and early childhood educators in the city of Chicago.

[23:31](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1411) We all know by now that child care workers are essential. They are the workforce behind the workforce. They prepare children for success in school and in life. And in spite of all of this, early childhood workers are underpaid. It's no coincidence that this workforce is majority women of color, many of whom also struggle to support their own children and their own families

[24:07](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1447) while providing vital child care for other parents so that they can go to work, parents who are also struggling to pay the high cost of child care. For years, these early childhood workers have been sounding the alarm about Chicago's child care workforce crisis. Data shows us what we've already known, that low pay was leading to high turnover of early childhood teachers at child care centers. Classrooms were closing across the country, not for lack of children and families to serve,

[24:42](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1482) but because early childhood educators could no longer afford to stay in the jobs that they loved. As our members say, families can't afford to pay. Workers can't afford to stay. There has to be a better way. Right? Let me say that again and get that right. As our members say, families can't afford to pay. Workers can't afford to stay. There has to be a better way.

[25:13](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1513) It's with that vision that child care workers came together as a union and built a movement that unites workers, parents, community in the fight for child care for all and for good union jobs for child care workers. Our coalition organized across the city, holding budget town halls, showing up at the mayor's budget listening sessions, testifying in front of the Chicago City Council, and delivering a petition with over 1,800 signatures to City Hall.

[25:49](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1549) And today, we are grateful that Mayor Brandon Johnson listened. He listened and is taking action to raise wages for thousands of early childhood educators across the city. I want to take a moment today, too, to recognize everyone here today who played a part in this incredible victory for early childhood workers. Alder Persons, Jeanette Taylor.

[26:20](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1580) Samantha Nugent. Mike Rodriguez. our community labor and policy partners the grassroots collaborative illinois action for children the coalition for spiritual and public leadership worker center for racial justice women employed shriver center women gathering for justice the chicago teachers union

[26:56](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1616) and start early. I also want to recognize, in addition to the YMCA, some of our union employers who are here with us today, too. Christina Phillips from Mary Cranley, and Lakeisha McFadden from Centers for New Horizons. So, today's announcement is an important first step towards a better, brighter future for Chicago's early childhood workers, our communities, and Chicago's

[27:26](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1646) children. For all of us here today, the next step is clear. We must work together to make sure that this wage increase for early childhood workers becomes permanent. Second, we need elected officials at every level to take action to address the child care workforce crisis head on and to build a brighter future for Illinois families, their children, and the workers who

[27:58](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1678) care for them. We know that this won't be easy, but we won't stop fighting until every Chicago family has access to quality, affordable early care and education. And to get there, we need to make sure that every child care worker has a good union job. Thank you so much. And next, I will turn it back over to Mayor Brandon Johnson for questions.

[28:34](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1714) Thank you, everyone, again, for being here, to all of the child care workers and the families who rely upon our workers. This is a worthwhile endeavor for the entire city of Chicago. I can tell you, before my children grew up, they're a little bit older now, but at one point we were paying $1,500 a month for child care, which was more than our mortgage at that time, and these are real challenges that folks have. And so working to address this issue is a worthwhile fight for the entire city of Chicago.

[29:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1745) And with that, we'll answer any questions that folks may have. Mayor, how much, as far as the $7 million goes, how many workers do you think this will have to the ranks, and how long is it sustainable? Well, the sustainability is around the ongoing effort to make sure that this down payment is extended beyond this year. You know, in true teacher fashion, you just saw how Tahiti did it. She congratulated me for my assignment completed, and then she gave me another one.

[29:40](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1780) You know, but that assignment is for all of us. As you heard from Bryn, it's every single level of government that we have to address this. As far as how many workers, I believe it's roughly 3,000 and another, is that the number? It's about 3,000 workers will experience the initial benefit of this investment. Thank you. So this will be implemented in the next couple of months.

[30:16](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1816) So July 1, the fiscal year that we're on for these child care workers. Look, there are two alders that are here. There are other alders that we know support this effort. I'm going to put it forward in my budget, I can tell you that, and we're going to work to get the votes that are necessary to ensure that these families are supported. Here's what I've said all along, that in order for us to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, we have to invest in workers.

[30:48](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1848) It's just that simple. You know, we're on a pathway to have the most safe, affordable, big city in America because what good does it do if the city is safe but no one can afford to live here? And then if the city is affordable and people don't feel safe, you know, you put people in a very difficult position. And so creating a long-term economic sustainability for our community, which also includes building more affordable homes, that's the pathway to repopulate the west and the south side of the city of Chicago,

[31:21](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1881) but it's also a pathway to make sure that we're supporting the workforce that allows the workforce to be able to exist in this city. Are there any other? Yes. Earlier you mentioned the average salary form. That's correct. It's about a 5% to 10% increase across the board. I will say this. When I finished my master's degree and became a teacher in Chicago Public Schools, I was making $45,000 a year.

[31:52](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1912) I mean, that's, you know, that's, in retrospect, I think about how irresponsible it was for my wife and I to have a child. I mean, he's 17 now. somehow he managed to get through life. I don't, you know, thank God for his Meemaw. I mean, seriously, I mean, many child care providers, I mean, we lean on family members, and in some cases we are the most economically stable individuals in our families. That's just the real life. My wife and I had a combined income of $75,000, a brand-new child,

[32:24](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1944) and looking to own a home in this city, and that is becoming increasingly more difficult. And that's why this is not just a down payment. And it's a really it's a call to action. That's what you're hearing. It's a call to action that we have to do a better job as a society of investing in workers who take care of children. Because what Tahita didn't say, that she sees the parents, we see the smiles at the beginning of the day. But when we come and pick up our children, we see their smiles when we're picking up our children.

[32:57](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=1977) You know, we're talking, you know, 12-hour shifts, I can tell you. I mean, you know, you drop your child off sometimes early at 6 o'clock in the morning, right? And somebody has to be there. And then by the time that parent is working and trying to dart across the city of Chicago to pick up their job by 6 p.m., that's a great deal of stress and duress that we're all under. We're just simply saying that we can build an economy that works better for working people and those who help working people.

[33:28](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=2008) All right, were there any other questions? Oh, sure. Yeah, thank you for acknowledging that. You know, you know, I think as Tahiti and Rocio indicated, when it comes to the south, southwest side, west side of the in the far south side, Chicago, you know, child care workers really reflect those particular sections of the city. We're talking about primarily brown and black women. And we're also talking about, you know, working people who need child care across the city.

[34:04](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=2044) But the areas in which the need is the greatest are the areas where has been the most disinvestment. And so just last year, a couple of things in North Lawndale, vacant lots that the city owned. We turned them over to United Power so that they can build affordable homes in North Londo. We also expanded our Missing Middle program, which allows for owner occupancy for generational wealth while also building affordable units. And of those developers, five are black, three are women.

[34:35](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=2075) And then when it comes to child care, you know, this is really a continuum or showing the full breadth of how my administration is approaching transforming our city. You've got to build more affordable homes, and you've got to make sure that people can afford to live in them, right? And so North Lawndale is on the front lines, right? As you know, this is the place where Dr. Keene came, and he said this. He said that if we can figure it out in Chicago, and he was a West Side. I just want that to be on the record.

[35:05](https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es?t=2105) He said if we can figure it out in Chicago, we can do it anywhere in the world. And so that's what we're doing. We're figuring it out in Chicago so that we can take this movement worldwide. All right. All right, everybody.

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Source: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/mayor/videos/8AK8aFCd3es · Chicago Politics, an independent tracker of the Chicago City Council. Guide for agents: https://www.chicagopolitics.org/llms.txt