Child care is one of the biggest costs for ALICE Households with children, particularly children too young for our public school system. Gretchen sits down with Kristin Schulz and Amy Lofthouse from Northern Illinois University's Child Development and Family Center (CDFC) to talk about the child care crisis facing families AND the underpaid staff that provide the care. Take a listen to learn more and ways you can advocate for a more sustainable system.

*Articles about $25/hr minimum wage mentioned in the episode: https://www.barrons.com/articles/why-u-s-workers-need-a-25-per-hour-minimum-wage-51611858500
https://cepr.net/this-is-what-minimum-wage-would-be-if-it-kept-pace-with-productivity/

**Acronyms in today's episode: NIU (Northern Illinois University), CDFC (Child Development and Family Center), ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) and INCCRRA (Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies).

*** Articles about the importance of early childhood development: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/early-learning/conditioninfo/matter#:~:text=Early%20learning%20paves%20the%20way,children%2C%20teens%2C%20and%20adults.

https://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/news-and-events/early-years-matter/early-childhood-education-matters-the-science-says-it-does