Over the summer, the US women’s soccer team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the fourth time. While this was an incredible accomplishment, the team also raised important issues on their path
to victory.

E-QUAL PAY! E-QUAL PAY! E-QUAL PAY! Thousands of fans chanted as the women’s team celebrated on the field after beating the Netherlands in the final game. The chants continued as fans lined the streets of New York City for the ticker tape parade. The pay equity issue was highlighted throughout the month-long World Cup—coverage was all over social media, on the front pages of daily newspapers, and in financial papers and magazines. Players spoke out, elected officials took action, and the various professional soccer organizations and associations had to take a stand.

As the Huffington Post reported,

The July 7 article continues, “FIFA is not the only soccer organization that fails to compensate women equally. Last week, more than 50 members of Congress wrote to the U.S. Soccer Federation to demand it pay the women’s team fairly, considering female soccer players receive a base salary of roughly $30,000 less than their male counterparts.”

On July 11, after the victory celebrations were over, Ashley Reese wrote an article for Jezebel.com, “A World Cup Champion Also Struggles to Afford Childcare.” The piece highlights Jessica McDonald, who shares,

Does that sound familiar? I was struck by how the equal pay story was so prominent during the World Cup, yet the piece about childcare struggles came out after the competition was over. It seemed like an afterthought, which is sometimes how we see early care and education positioned in the news.

We have all heard the statistics about how expensive early care and education is for families with young children. In fact, Child Care Aware of America and the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment collaborated to produce a short video that answers the question in its title: “Why Do Parents Spend So Much on Child Care, Yet Early Childhood Educators Earn So Little?” You can see the video and read more information here: https://bit.ly/2z71RuZ.

To be a good advocate, you need to be informed. This video helps to break down the complex issues of funding streams, business models, and the economics of early education and provides a wonderful platform from which to continue this important conversation.

Another important piece of advocacy is sharing your story. Imagine if educators and parents watched this video together and then had the opportunity to share their personal stories and reflections.

Imagine how much more parents would know about all the hard work and preparation it takes to provide a high-quality experience for their children. Imagine if parents were able to better understand how many early childhood educators are going back to school, taking classes, earning degrees, finding mentors, and improving their practice while (in most cases) barely making minimum wage, going without health insurance, and working another job to make ends meet. Imagine if parents could share their hopes and dreams for their children, explain why sometimes it is difficult to hear about when their child has a hard day, or express their worries about making good decisions for their child.

Imagine if parents and educators could be stronger allies in advocacy—fighting for greater investments in early education and in educators together. Imagine the rallies at state houses across the country with signs: “Parents can’t afford to pay. Teachers can’t afford to stay. Public investment is the way.”

But we don’t have to only imagine! We can do this. We need to speak up, ask our elected officials to take action, and join NAEYC and take a stand. Let’s remember NAEYC’s core beliefs from our Strategic Direction and use them as our guide: excellence and innovation, transparency, reflection, equity and opportunity, and collaborative relationships.

Over the next year, you will have opportunities to share your story; to help ensure an accurate census that counts all kids; to empower parents and educators in your community to vote; and to join conversations on social media and in town halls with parents and colleagues across the United States.

Join us—as the advocates you are and must be—to insist that our country deliver on the promise of high-quality early childhood education for our children, families, and communities.