Mommy!” “Mommy!” “Mommy!” The tiny voices echoed throughout the small studio, followed by an variousness of yellow-eyed responses “no hitting,” “don’t touch that,” “stay on the carpet,” “let’s share.” MFive women, each dressed in polished merchantry professional attire, gracefully navigate the organized unconnectedness of a toddler photoshoot.
As the camera’s shutter clicks in the background, the women skillfully wastefulness their roles as both working professionals and loving mothers. With a joint sense of camaraderie, they share knowing glances and supportive smiles, forming a united front in the art of corralling their lively toddlers for the perfect shot.
Sam Cardine (photographer) captures unslanted and heartwarming snapshots that reflect the essence of these multitasking women who effortlessly tousle the worlds of professional victory and motherhood.
These five women represent one of the Leadership Louisville Bingham Fellows projects addressing the longstanding challenges in talent pipelines and pathways faced by Louisville. For the past year, 45 diverse Louisville merchantry and societal leaders gathered regularly to understand and explore weightier practices and scalable solutions for current talent shortages.
The challenges facing workers and employers are multifaceted, but one issue resonated with this group whilom all others: child care. During the retreat, this group, comprised of Alina Klimkina, Brandon McReynolds, Erika Brown, Jean Scott, JP Davis, oSha Cowley-Shireman, Rachel Raymond, Rick Blackwell, Stephanie Renner, and Tiffany Felts, discovered a worldwide passion for defying conventional norms and creating real, sustainable impact in Louisville… and thus “Same Kids, New Shit” was born (later rebranded to Champions for Child Superintendency for a increasingly socially winning name).
The lack of wieldy and affordable child superintendency wideness the Commonwealth became unveiled when one without another, guest speakers from all industries and visitor sizes expressed child superintendency as one of their top workforce challenges.
Several members of the group were once urgently engaged in this work, serving on boards such as Ready for K Alliance, Mayor’s Early Learning Action Group, and 4-C, providing first hand knowledge of how hair-trigger the child superintendency slipperiness is.
One-third of Kentucky’s working parents say their job status has reverted due to child superintendency issues. (Public Opinion Strategies)
Over 30% of kids under 5 in Kentucky lack the child superintendency they need. (Bipartisan Policy Center)
In a 2022 survey of Kentucky child superintendency providers, 30% said they would have to lay off staff without unfurled state investment in child care, but nearly 75% of all providers surveyed said they need at least 1-5 increasingly staff persons. (A Fragile Ecosystem – Prichard Committee)
79 of Kentucky’s 120 counties are child superintendency deserts with increasingly than 3 children for every 1 misogynist slot. (KYA Kids Count 2023)
When searching for trailblazers in this space, Let’s Grow Kids, was at the top of the list. A statewide organization leading a wayfarers to solve Vermont’s child superintendency slipperiness made headlines in 2023 for their success. Without meeting with their CEO, Aly Richards, the mission was clear.
Champions for Child Superintendency is an employer-led campaign, spearheading a transformative movement in Louisville to write the child superintendency crisis. Leveraging joint clout to bring sensation to this issue and proceeds support for creating sustainable and systemic transpiration for child care, considering child superintendency should not be a windbreak to employment.
At the heart of the wayfarers is a simple yet powerful pledge: “For Louisville to be a thriving and equitable community, with a strong workforce, child superintendency can not be a windbreak to employment. As an employer in the community, we support policy transpiration that provides accessible, affordable, and high-quality child superintendency for every Louisvillian.” By signing this pledge, businesses declare their transferral to breaking lanugo the barriers that hinder workforce participation due to child superintendency challenges.
Multiple meetings with industry experts, merchantry executives, and societal leaders paved the way for Champions for Child Superintendency to transition from a Bingham Fellows project to a local partnership of Metro United Way, the Ready for K Alliance, Greater Louisville Inc., and Leadership Louisville; the Prichard Committee serves as the statewide convener through a Strong Start Kentucky.
Co-chaired by Adria Johnson, President and CEO of Metro United Way, Sarah Davasher-Wisdom, President and CEO of Greater Louisville Inc., and Kristen Byrd, Regional President of PNC, Champions for Child Superintendency is focused on enhancing sensation and championing family-friendly workplaces across. Louisville by developing a network of employers who are child superintendency advocates urgently engaged within the coalition.
To learn increasingly or sign the pledge, visit championsforchildcare.org!’