About Many Languages One Voice (MLOV)
MLOV’s mission is to support immigrants in Washington, D.C., who do not speak English as a primary language. MLOV’s goal is to foster leadership and provide tools that allow greater civic participation so these immigrants can be a part of designing and developing strategies and resources that improve their lives.
What type of work will the grant enable?
The early childcare Birth to Three (B3) campaign will support economic mobility for single mothers and families by re-envisioning the childcare sector within immigrant and refugee communities in Washington, D.C. In addition to establishing childcare “pods” to provide a range of supports and fostering grassroots organizing, the B3 program is working key partners, such as American University’s Community and Economic Development Law Clinic, to establish and run a childcare cooperative. The partnership will train from 20 to 30 providers to establish and run the initiative. Providing essential workers with quality jobs and professional development in a cooperative ownership model will create better outcomes not only for these workers, but also for the families and children in their care.
Why is this work important?
An estimated one-fifth of the two million early childhood educators in the U.S. are immigrants, making childcare a critical sector for investment. At the heart of MLOV’s work of reimagining childcare programs for immigrant families is its plan to develop a strong network of future advocates with new skill sets to mobilize for change. This work advances the roles of immigrant leaders and provides immigrants with the skills and support they need to access opportunity.
“MLOV seeks to bring together immigrant moms, caregivers, childcare workers, and families to design grassroots, innovative childcare solutions. We have established childcare pods in the Columbia Heights and Brightwood neighborhoods to support approximately 25 families, to be served by a cooperative of immigrant and refugee childcare providers. As the economy recovers, we hope to scale-up this program to create the go-to childcare network for immigrant and refugee families across DC.”
Rebecca Walters, Development Officer, MLOV
