ORLANDO, Fla. — Industry leaders, educators and policy makers continue to push the needle to solve the childcare crisis. It takes all three to come up with ideas on what's working, and what isn't.
“I remember being a teacher and having, you know, a crazy 2-year-old class, getting the room cleaned up and having one kid go another direction, and the whole room is just messed up again. And I remember clearly sitting on the floor and thinking, I don't get paid enough for this," said Erin Smeltzer, the president and CEO of the Children's Forum.
WATCH full report by Heather Leigh
The Florida Association for the Education of Young Children 2025 is happening a short drive north of Tampa in Orlando this week. It's a chance for educators to let loose a bit, and talk about what really goes on in the classroom and if new policies are serving their purpose.
2025 has not been a good year for women in the workforce because of the price of childcare.
“I did like my job. I used to work in corporate, and I like my independence and having my own money," said Carla Webb, a new mom here in Tampa.
She chose to leave her 9-to-5 to take care of her son, and she’s one of hundreds of thousands of women who left the U.S. workforce in the first half of the year, according to the University of Kansas and the recent Bureau of Labor Statistics. Moms experienced the sharpest January to June decline in more than 40 years.
“It's so expensive. We're on a, I wouldn't say a tight budget, but it's different," said Webb. "It's a different lifestyle now, trying to put it into just one income.”
To be clear, Webb enjoys being around her baby for all the big milestones, but she is open to childcare down the road.
“Once he's able to go to a pre-K or kindergarten, yes, I would consider," said Webb.
Of course, as a parent, you want to know your child is getting the best experience once they enter school, but the financial strain extends to childcare facilities, too.
“We have a very low-paid, high-stress workforce environment for a lot of our teachers," said Smeltzer.
It’s why hearing directly from those teachers about how things are going in the classroom is so important. The Florida Association for the Education of Young Children conference in Orlando, also known as FLAEYC, is a landing spot for teachers in rural and populated areas of the state to come together and talk about their needs and the needs of their kids with policymakers and industry leaders.
“No matter your role in the field, no matter where you're located, you have the ability to be an advocate," said Norman Perez Schwartz, the board president for the Florida Association of the Education of Young Children. "We have our leaders here that make it so accessible to them to understand what's happening in Tallahassee.”
Especially since teachers are the ones putting changes into practice!. There’s a lot of learning happening, from the experts but also from each other, during sessions throughout the weekend.
“Play is how we all learn," said Smeltzer. "So, the workshops will help them differentiate what math looks like in our age group and what science looks like in an infant classroom."
Teachers will also be recognized for the great work they do.
“Often when you think of teachers or recognizing a Teacher of the Year, you're thinking of our K-12 system," said Madeleine Thakur, the president and CEO of the Children's Movement of Florida. "But the fact is, those teachers in our early learning classrooms are doing really amazing work and they have fewer opportunities for recognition.”
To learn more about the conference, click here.
Share Your Story with Heather
Heather Leigh was born and raised in Tampa Bay. She’s invested in telling stories from Seminole Heights and Ybor City, helping you find affordable childcare, and improving our roads. Send Heather a message with any ideas you’d like to share.
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