The Largest Strike in Child Care Organizing History: 3,850+ Providers and Parents Stop Work Nationwide to Demand Universal Child Care on Community Change Action’s National Day Without Child Care
Thousands more parents, organizers, and allies participated in 77+ events across 30 states and Washington, D.C. to launch the national campaign that will win universal child care.
Nationwide – On Monday, May 11, more than 3,850 child care providers and parents went on strike or took action to flex our power and demand the universal child care system our communities deserve as part of Community Change Action’s Fifth Annual National Day Without Child Care – the biggest child care work stoppage in U.S. history. With this day of action, our movement made our demands clear: a universal system for every child and family, with thriving wages for providers built on racial and gender equity.
Find photos, interviews, and b-roll of strikers and actions from across the country here. Free to use with attribution to Community Change Action.
Just yesterday morning, the Trump Administration repealed federal rules that made childcare more affordable and strengthened provider pay. Their continued erosion of our childcare system shows how little they care for our families and early childhood educators. But parents and providers across the political spectrum remain united in our demand for universal child care. From red Tennessee and Indiana to blue California and New York, Day Without Child Care has expanded in its fifth year as every zip code is now impacted by our childcare and affordability crisis.
“The attacks we are seeing right now against immigrants, against workers who organize, against public investment, against the very idea that we owe one another care and dignity are connected,” said Lorella Praeli, Community Change Co-President. “They are part of a broader effort to convince people that they are on their own. That care is private, that survival is individual, that solidarity is impossible. And that is why today is not only a day of action. It is the beginning of a new phase of this movement.”
Yesterday was not just about one day of striking. Community Change Action and our partners across the country launched a campaign that will include sustained, bold actions and organizing until we win a national universal child care system. This summer, Community Change Action will host the first-ever Childcare Changemakers Convention, where we’ll gather partners, providers, parents, and allies from across the country to chart the path for a universal system by providers and parents, for providers and parents.
“It’s never been more urgent to create the universal childcare system we deserve – one that actually works, lifts the burden off of families and providers, and invests in our youngest generation to give them the strongest start possible,” said Dorian Warren, Co-President of Community Change Action. “The next few years will determine which politicians got on board with progress and which stood in the way of making life easier for families. Our movement for a 21st-century childcare system is undeniable – and Day Without Child Care is a mandate for every elected official to listen to the providers, parents, and communities who are leading this fight.”
Highlights From Across the Country
At least 28 states across the country participated in our National Day Without Child Care, including Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, North Caroline, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and D.C. Below are some snapshots of events.
Philadelphia, PA – Over 150 people showed up to rally at City Hall to demand the public funding we need to make care affordable, value providers, and keep our economy running.
Indianapolis, IN – 50 providers and parents from every corner of Indiana gathered together to march to the Governor’s Mansion to demand sustained investment in the state’s childcare system.
Salt Lake City, Utah – Over 55 people showed up at the State Capitol for a press conference demanding investment in our childcare system. After that, providers, parents, and allies dropped in on legislators to discuss their concerns.
New York, NY –A crowd of more than 170 gathered outside of City Hall in New York City to call for a universal childcare system that is truly inclusive of all providers, including family-based providers, that ends the waitlist in NYC, and boosts provider pay.
Columbus, OH – 350 parents, providers, and advocates from across Ohio gathered at the Capitol Square in Columbus to rally and demand funding for a 21st-century child care system that values both educators and children.
Oakland, CA – Parents Voices Oakland hosted a breakfast with elected officials to discuss the importance of child care, then organized a press conference with community members to amplify the demand that our future be funded.
National Virtual Event
On the evening of May 11, more than 460 participants joined our virtual rally to celebrate another successful Day Without Child Care. They recapped the day, sharing their personal stories and detailing the events they hosted, and called for a childcare system that will make their lives better. The event was emceed by Janna Rodriguez, Founder of The Innovative Daycare Corp; Lenice Emanuel, Alabama Institute for Social Justice; and Martha Rae, Child Care Changemaker of Indiana. Community Change Co-President Lorella Praeli, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), and Minnesota State Senator Grant Hauschild spoke at the virtual rally. Senator Patty Murray shared a pre-recorded video in solidarity, joining parents and providers in their demand for universal child care and pledging their support for the campaign that will make it happen.
For more on the actions from May 11, 2026, check out our #DayWithoutChildCare hashtag on social media.
Coming Soon
Baton Rouge, LA – Over 1500 providers, parents, and allies will gather today, May 12, at the State Capitol for a press conference followed by an interactive event for legislators: providers will set up stations to walk lawmakers through a “Day in the Life” of care, spotlighting all of the decisions, thought, and effort that goes into creating educational programming for children.
Nashville, TN – On Friday, May 15, providers and parents from Nashville and beyond will gather at the state capitol, closing their doors and staging a rally to protest the lack of funding and high waitlist numbers for the local subsidy program, as well as decreases in subsidy reimbursements.
Washington, D.C. – Starting at 10 am on Wednesday, May 13, SPACEs in Action will transform the Wilson Building (City Hall) into a childcare center to demonstrate the essential role child care plays in the city and economy.
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