Crystal Stairs and Community Voices Host Budget Workshop
Event Highlights State, Federal and County Responses to State Budget Crisis and Child Care

Los Angeles, CA- On Saturday, May 16th, Crystal Stairs and Community Voices, a parent advocacy group that works to develop caregivers throughout Los Angeles County into advocates, hosted a Budget Workshop at the Wallis Annenberg Science Center.

Over 150 parents, providers and child care advocates were in attendance to hear about the county’s connection to child care, the state budget and ballot initiatives, the federal stimulus package and how all of these things work together. They participated in an interactive activity designed and presented by Next 10, a nonpartisan and non-profit organization that explains the difficult process of balancing a state budget and heard from a plethora of state and federal district representatives, including Congresswoman Diane Watson and State Assemblymember Mike Davis, on the various issues impacting residents of California.

“These budget workshops are an opportunity for us to better engage and inform our parents and providers about the child care landscape and how they can get involved”, said Holly J. Mitchell, CEO of Crystal Stairs. “The turnout was amazing and our attendees are ready to stay involved. State budgets are value statements and our parents and providers value children. So we all have a vested interest in how the system works.”

Crystal Stairs is a private non-profit child development corporation that helps families find and pay for child care and works with early care educators to enhance the quality of services that they provide to children in their care.