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Top Takeaways is a series of recaps from important conversations, town halls, webinars and virtual events about early learning.

New America鈥檚 held a webinar on October 24 to mark the release of Katherine Goldstein鈥檚 . Subtitled 鈥淭he Care Movement鈥檚 Winning Tactics, Lessons and Case Studies from the Pandemic Era and Beyond,鈥� the playbook focuses on what Goldstein called 鈥減roven, real-world solutions, not just policy ideas鈥� for improving the way America supports young children, as well as seniors and others in need of care.

Participants detailed how the care landscape has shifted since the pandemic and how leaders 鈥� elected and otherwise 鈥� have built momentum toward more equitable systems. Here are our takeaways.

1.  COVID revealed painful truths. In her introductory remarks, Better Life Lab director Brigid Schulte said, 鈥淐OVID made the care crisis impossible to ignore.鈥�

In a recorded statement, Ai-jen Poo, president of the , observed, 鈥淪o much has changed in our cultural conversation about care,鈥� adding that realization has dawned that 鈥渢he care workforce makes everything else possible in our economy.鈥�

The epigraph of Goldstein鈥檚 playbook comes from novelist Arundhati Roy鈥檚 : 鈥淗istorically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different.鈥� And while the hoped-for transformation has been far from immediate, the ways that societal inequities were exposed raised awareness and laid the groundwork for change.

2. Care workers are organizing. Webinar participant Sandy Moreno left a promising job in Chicago to care for her grandmother in California. The grueling hours and absence of supports exhausted her physically and emotionally. 鈥淭his is not just my story,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 thousands of other caregivers, too.鈥�

As part of , she fought for and won statewide collective bargaining to boost Medicare reimbursement rates. Goldstein quotes AFI-CIO president Liz Shuler calling care worker bargaining 鈥渢he ultimate example of creativity and innovation鈥� and highlights Washington State鈥檚 giving home care workers 鈥� among other union-led victories.

As Moreno said, 鈥淲hen we get together, we can actually win big things.鈥�

3. Ballot initiatives are having impact. Did you know that more than 60% of voters in Escambia County, Florida, approved a children鈥檚 service trust in 2020? Goldstein鈥檚 highlights this and over 50 local funds, worth about $1.5 billion altogether, passed by voters. These measures, she notes, are popular in red and blue states alike. (Children鈥檚 Funding Project tracks .)

Among the most significant ballot initiatives happened in New Orleans, which unlocked $40 million per year for 2,000 young children. Rochelle Wilcox of pointed out that a previous ballot initiative failed, but tactics such as engaging the business community and holding an advocacy boot camp for parents turned the tide. She ended her comments with a quote from Alice Walker: 鈥淭he most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don鈥檛 have any.鈥�

4. The movement is using all the tools available. Advocates, activists and voters can all play a part in improving the care infrastructure. Julia Craven, senior writer and editor at New America, reminded viewers that the state and local breakthroughs chronicled in Goldstein鈥檚 report took years of groundwork.

Minister JaNa茅 Bates, director of communications, , chronicled how a coalition won statewide after 10 years of struggle. 鈥淲e could have passed a weak, gutted policy five years ago,鈥� she stated, 鈥渂ut the current version, with 12 weeks family and 12 weeks medical leave and strong job protections was worth the wait.鈥�

Taking part in the public dialogue on care requires patience, persistence and, often, investment in narrative change and advocacy. Goldstein cites data to show that the top three care-oriented groups spent only 1.4% on lobbying compared to the top three major business groups who opposed the care-related measures in Build Back Better.

5. 鈥淭he playbook is only the beginning.鈥� Schulte promised. Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, cofounder and CEO of , predicted that federal progress is a matter of 鈥渘ot if but when,鈥� thanks to an estimated 76 million 鈥渕om voters.鈥�

While Craven noted, 鈥淔aith and movement work have always been deeply intertwined,鈥� Minister Bates cautioned, 鈥淭he opposition weaponizes faith against our collective future.鈥� She recommended staying embedded in community and in touch with real people, and she brought this point home with a story about how a Black mom鈥檚 testimony about her family鈥檚 struggles left a lobbyist from the Chamber of Commerce at a loss for words.

Rowe-Finkbeiner declared, 鈥淔uture generations will have things better.鈥�

This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 麻豆精品. Learn more here.