ARLINGTON, Va., June 26, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Child Care Aware® of America today announced a multi-year Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action that will promote economic recovery in the United States through the development of microenterprise for refugee communities across the country. The announcement was made by Lynette Fraga, Ph.D., Executive Director of Child Care Aware® of America as a featured presenter sharing commitments on stage at the fourth meeting of the CGI America meeting, a program of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Fraga has worked with the Clinton Global Initiative to create a Commitment to Action spanning 2014-2017 that will focus on refugee child care microenterprise development. The renewal of commitment to the project means immediate benefits for hundreds of families in some of the nation's largest refugee communities.
In 2012, Child Care Aware® of America worked with the International Rescue Committee and two local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR &R) agency partners on a pilot project to recruit and train refugee women interested in family child care microenterprise. The pilot provided 45 women with 40 hours of child development training, CPR/first aid training, and child care business development training. Through this pilot project, Child Care Aware® of America identified several challenges that refugee women face when starting family child care businesses. Some of these challenges included, but are not limited to:
- Difficulty securing property management/landlord approval to operate family child care in their apartments
- Limited access to capital to purchase homes or move to licensing-compliant apartments
- Limited English proficiency, and lack of experience with computers
Child Care Aware® of America is committed to identifying and meeting the needs of current pilot participants and extending the pilot timeframe to accommodate changing needs. Depending on each participant's situation, this may include, but is not limited to:
- Additional training assistance to achieve Maryland teacher credentials
- English and computer proficiency classes (and possibly computers)
- Connections with coaching/mentoring, or staff time to support investigation into solutions to multiple licensing barriers
- Seeking funding to support elimination of barriers such as home repairs to pass fire and safety inspections
Child Care Aware® of America is also dedicated to documenting the lessons learned from the 2012 pilot project and will compile data and develop a white paper focused on lessons learned from the project. This report is expected to include process and impact evaluation work, as well as an exploration of the linkages to research on the national landscape for refugees in child care.
About Child Care Aware® of America
Child Care Aware® of America is our nation's leading voice for child care. We work with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR &Rs) and other community partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. To achieve our mission, we lead projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake research, and advocate for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit usa.childcareware.org. Follow us on Twitter @USAChildCare and on Facebook at facebook.com/usachildcare.
About the Clinton Global Initiative America
The Clinton Global Initiative America (CGI America), a program of the Clinton Global Initiative, addresses economic recovery in the United States. Established in June 2011 by President Bill Clinton, CGI America brings together leaders in business, government, and civil society to generate and implement commitments to create jobs, stimulate economic growth, foster innovation, and support workforce development in the United States. Since its first meeting, CGI America participants have made over 300 commitments valued at more than $15 billion when fully funded and implemented. To learn more, visit cgiamerica.org.
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders year-round and at its Annual Meeting to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI also convenes CGI University, which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their communities and around the world. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 2,800 Commitments to Action, which are already improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $103 billion. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
Judy L. Francis Child Care Aware of America 703-341-4159
