What Impressed the Senator of Nevada

News 4 and Fox 11

Shlucha Sarah Cunin, Associate Director of Chabad of Northern Nevada, was one of the community leaders who joined an intimate roundtable to discuss the childcare crisis in Nevada with U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

Masto stated that childcare should be the number one priority in her conversation with representatives from The Children’s Cabinet, Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, Community Services Agency, Grand Sierra Resort, Food Bank of Northern Nevada, Patagonia, and Chabad.

“Listening to the passion in the room about how we address this issue and ideas about whether it’s government or the private sector, or faith-based, everybody coming together, I think there’s the opportunity to get it done. We just now have to make sure that we make those systemic changes,” she said.

Since the start of the pandemic, providers have used American Rescue Plan funding to lower childcare costs in the region.

Even though Cortez Masto worked to pass the legislation, which is helping to train more childcare providers and bring down costs, those at the discussion say there is still a lot to be done especially with the workforce shortage and COVID-19.

Marty Elquist, the supporting early education & development department director at the Children’s Cabinet, says the pandemic is exposing all the cracks in the childcare system.

President and CEO of Food Bank in Northern Nevada, Nicole Lamboley, says today was an important discussion and long overdue.

“It’s just wonderful that we have so many people gathering in the community to talk about these issues that are impacting working families, and together we can solve the issue, but we have a lot of work to do. And I think we have leadership around this table that will make that happen,” Lamboley said.

Senator Masto acknowledged the importance of faith-based providers of early childhood programs. Following the discussion, she went over to Mrs. Cunin to personally thank Chabad of Northern Nevada in Reno for their public Menorah lightings this past Chanukah.

The Senator marveled that there were lightings in so many cities and towns across the Northern part of the State each night of Chanukah and was proud that she had sent representatives to participate.