Date: November 8, 2007
CONTACT :
Melissa Jones (Wolk)
(916) 319-2008
Maria Aliferis-Gjerde (Berg)
(916) 319-2431 (office)
(916) 201-5502 (cell)
Wolk holds town hall meeting on working family issues
Vacaville forum part of on-going legislative efforts
“From childcare to healthcare, these issues play a critical role in the lives of working families,” said Wolk, who hosted the forum as a member of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. “Many Californians work to support their families. On a daily basis, they juggle the responsibilities of work and caregiving. They need access to affordable, quality care for their children and their elderly or disabled loved ones.”
“California must do a better job of supporting the caregivers in our community,” said Donita Stromgren, Public Policy Director for the California Childcare Resource and Referral Network, who spoke at the event on child care issues. “If we can’t support our families, they won’t be able to engage in the activities that help our communities survive and thrive.”
Licensed child care is available for only 26 percent of California’s children age 13 and under with parents in the labor force, according to the Resource and Referral Network. In Solano County alone, there are 11,335 licensed child care slots available—compared to an estimated 50,628 children age 13 and under with working parents.
Caregiving issues are of special significance to women, according to Alexis Glidewell, a family consultant for Redwood Caregiver Resource Center, a nonprofit that provides support and assistance to family caregivers throughout the Redwood Empire, including Solano County.
“Women make up 75 percent of informal caregivers in California,” she said. “And a significant number of these women provide such care while working, caring for children, and trying to manage their own health issues.”
This is the latest in a series of town hall-style meetings held throughout the state by the Legislative Women’s Caucus as part of an ongoing effort to spotlight issues important to working families, especially women caregivers, and to provide lawmakers the opportunity to get public input for future legislative efforts.