GENDER EQUITY Workforce Gender Equity Begins With Affordable, High-Quality Child Care by YMCA of USA CEO Suzanne McCormick

As a mother and the first woman to lead YMCA of the USA, access to affordable, quality child care is an issue especially close to my heart. When my children were growing up, one of the greatest stressors in my life was finding quality care for them while my husband and I worked.

Access to affordable child care has been a problem in this country for a long time, and today it seems to be reaching a breaking point. We know that so many parents – mostly women – left the workforce to care for their children during the pandemic, and many have struggled to return.

This trend threatens to slow the progress women have made in recent decades. Not only do we now account for more than half of the college-educated workforce, but for the first time, women are leading 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

During Women’s History Month, I want to celebrate the steps society has taken toward narrowing the gender gap in the workforce. But I also want to recognize that there is a lot more work to be done, and that increasing access to affordable, high-quality services is essential if we are to continue narrowing the gap.

A (brief) history of child care at the YMCA Most people today know the Y as a youth development organization, serving nearly 5 million kids and teens a year through our programs, including afterschool, early care and education, overnight and day camp, youth sports and more.

YMCAs have developed and evolved these programs over time, always in response to the specific needs of their communities. For example, YMCA preschool programs emerged during World War II and were a vital part of the nation’s support for the millions of women who were entering the workforce because of the war.

When women’s participation in the workforce steadily increased between 1960 and 1980, so did the demand for affordable, accessible child care. Recognizing this growing need, YMCAs launched formal child care programs in the 1970s.

Today, this responsiveness remains central to who we are as an organization. When COVID-19 forced school and daycare closures across the country, more than 1,000 YMCAs quickly began offering emergency child care services for essential workers and first responders. While they were leaving their homes every day to care for our country during a time of crisis, they at least had some peace of mind knowing that their kids were being cared for and kept safe.

During World War II, the YMCA offered weekly nursery services to Service wives. Source: https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/item/p16022coll379:4306

Nine Healthy Eating Tips for the Entire Family!

By Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN in partnership with Eggland’s Best

Post a snack list on the fridge Have a list posted on the fridge of available and healthy snacks so it’s more likely everyone will choose those nourishing options when hunger hits. Snacks that have protein + produce are great options such as an Eggland’s Best hard-cooked egg + cucumbers, nut butter + celery, cheese stick + apple, edamame + orange slices, or yogurt + berries.

Play “Try It Tuesday” Trying new foods is such a great way to get a wide variety of nutrition and create more adventurous eaters. Make Tuesday theday each week to open everyone’s mind & palate to try a new snack, a new side dish, a new recipe, or even just take a bite of a new fruit or veggie.

Team up in the kitchen Cooking together makes it feel more fun and when kids play a role in prepping, they are more likely to enjoy the meal. Teaching kids how to cook is a valuable life skill that you can start teaching at any age, it’s never too early or late. And bonus, the better kids get in the kitchen, the less work it ends up being for parents!

Count the color on your plate One of the best ways to eat better is by adding more colorful fruits & veggies to meals and snacks. So have kids count the colors on their plate and the more colors the better. Take it to the next level and create a family chart to track the colors eaten through the week or month!

Learn the superpowers of each food group Each food group does powerful things in your body. And when kids (and adults) focus on the superpower benefits of food, it becomes more meaningful and fun to choose nourishing options. For example: • Protein foods like Eggland’s Best eggs, chicken, and beans help grow and repair muscles. • Fruits & veggies give us vitamins & minerals to protect our cells. • Whole grains like whole wheat, oats, and brown rice give us energy. • Fats like nuts, avocado, and olive oil support our organs.

Create a water station Staying hydrated helps keep us healthy and energized. Keep a pitcher of water that’s easy to see on the counter or in the fridge. And nearby have cups/water bottles and some slices of cucumbers, lemons, limes, oranges, mint, and/or berries so kids can create their own special flavor combos. Keeping water available and fun encourages the whole family to drink more of it.

Give everyone their own day of the week To help make dinner a peaceful, complain-free zone, give each family member a day of the week that they pick what’s for dinner. It makes planning easier and kids love having a say in what they are eating. Pro-tip: Even when kids ask for mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, or pizza, you can make those classics healthier by rounding out the meal with plenty of veggies.

Make dinner a digital detox Enjoy meal time without phones, games, or TV. It creates more mindful meals and more connection and conversation. Need help coming up with what to talk about, read the next tip!

Create a bowl of conversation starters Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with things to talk about at the dinner table, so write questions on pieces of paper, put them in a bowl, and each night grab one or two to help get the conversation flowing. Questions like “What was the best part of your day, What was the funniest thing you heard/saw today, If you got one wish from a genie what would yours be?”