The 2020 pandemic laid bare the inequities of a political, economic and social system that does little to support and empower women, children and families. YWCA Greater Pittsburgh (YWCAGP) has been at the forefront of supporting women, children and families for more than a century. The organization believes that when women thrive, children flourish and families and communities succeed.

YWCAGP is in a unique position to further its advocacy priorities, which are rooted in its services, programs and staff expertise, and aligns to YWCA USA’s response strategy to address social issues through direct service in tandem with community issue education and advocacy.

This is the first in a series of YWCAGP issue papers that describes one of today’s most critical issues facing working women, their children and families: access to affordable, high-quality child care and early learning programs. It also provides a glimpse of the contributing factors causing these challenges and explains how the organization is effecting change through targeted efforts to help women advance economically, recruit and retain child care workers, and advocate for policy changes at the local, state and national levels.