Upwards

Happy Holidays from all of us at Upwards! ❄️ We’re deeply grateful for the incredible community that shares our mission. Together, we’ve achieved amazing things this year, making childcare more affordable and accessible for families everywhere. Here’s to another year of transforming America’s childcare landscape and driving meaningful change! Wishing you a joyful and restful holiday season!

Upwards x City of Miami Beach 🌴 Wrapping up the year with an exciting development! 🎉 We’re proud to announce our partnership with the City of Miami Beach to help build resilient and strong childcare in the community. This collaboration will support local childcare businesses by streamlining operations, boosting childcare availability, and creating new job opportunities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g4ZSa9z7

Earlier this month, the Needs-Based Childcare Scholarship Program–a partnership between Upwards and Park City Municipal Corporation–was recognized by EPIC, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation as a leading model for innovative childcare solutions. It was so special for me to see Michelle Downard represent this incredible initiative on "The Cutting Edge: How to Develop Sustainable Child Care Solutions" panel discussion at the Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action, and to have the program featured on EPIC’s new Employer Child Care Navigator website: https://lnkd.in/g38jwK29. At its core, our program is driven by a shared belief: investment in childcare has the power to transform both the economy and the workforce. This is just the beginning. I’m looking forward to what we’ll accomplish in 2025 together with our partners—Park City Municipal Corporation, Summit County Utah, and the Park City Community Foundation. Thank you to Aaron Merchen, Aya Takemoto, Kristen Schulz, Nann Worel, Michelle Downard, Cassie Leyva, Angela Ervin, Nicole Riehl, Alethea Gomez, Sasha Nicholas!

We’re Hiring a Junior Graphic Designer at Upwards! Are you a design pro with a killer portfolio and a love for creative challenges? We’re looking for a Junior Graphic Designer to join our Creative Team at Upwards! You’ll report directly to me—Senior Graphic Designer, cool boss (and mom), and expert in virtual high fives (yes, this job is 100% remote). If you’re ready to flex your creative muscles in a fast-paced, mission-driven startup, check out the job posting below:

Empowering families with the childcare support they need makes all the difference ✨ Recently, the Park City Needs-Based Childcare Scholarship Program in partnership with Upwards was recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and EPIC, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children as a model for other communities at the National Childcare Innovation Summit. Additionally, the program has been featured as a case study on the Employer Childcare Navigator website, highlighting its impact on residents, workforce, Park City Municipal Corporation employees, and childcare providers Want to learn more? Check out the case study here: https://lnkd.in/eZMnmHsZ #ChildcareMatters #EmployeeBenefits #WorkingParents

“It just gives you peace of mind” Sgt. Shane Jensen said. "It keeps me to where I can still continue to serve and do what I love to do and know that my kids are taken care of at the same time." Stories like Sgt. Jensen’s remind us why childcare support for military families matters. Thank you, Hailey Peck, for shining a spotlight on how Upwards’ childcare program is helping military families and impacting their communities in this piece by The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, Iowa Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gX4DWsHC #militarychildcare #childcare #militaryfamilies

Our first-ever “Onward with Upwards Innovation Summit” took place last week and it was a huge success! 🚀 Thank you so much to all of the customers, prospects and partners who joined us at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge this week. We hope you left feeling as energized as we did! #OnwardWithUpwards #childcarebenefits

Feeling so energized after this week of travel and exciting gatherings in DC and NYC with leaders in childcare. It was great to see so many bright minds and organizations come together at the National Child Care Innovation Summit, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and EPIC, Executives Partnering to Invest in Children. Excited to see how these ideas will shape the future of childcare! At Upwards, we’re proud to support Park City Municipal Corporation in implementing a Needs-Based Childcare Scholarship Program that has been life-changing for the city's families and workforce. It was a highlight to see resident advocate Michelle Downard showcase the city's approach to sustainable childcare at the summit. Park City’s program was also featured as a case study on the newly launched Employer Childcare Navigator website presented at the summit: https://lnkd.in/g38jwK29. It’s an amazing resource designed to provide actionable first steps for employers looking to support their working parents. Check it out! Congratulations to the organizers, changemakers, #childcare advocates and inspiring speakers: Aaron Merchen, Nicole Riehl, Alethea Gomez, Aya Takemoto, Michelle Downard, Kristen Schulz, Reshma Saujani, Isabel Miranda, Molly Day, Liat Krawczyk, Melinda Garrett, Michelle Kang, Sasha Nicholas, Caitlin Codella Low, Jessica Gomez, Ted Chiang, Cassie Leyva, Brooke Flower, Jennifer Stybel,  Stephanie Itelman, Erica Phillips, and everyone who made this summit a success. 

Kudos to our team Jessica Chang, Jessa Santangelo, Lilly Alexander, Greg Crisci for representing Upwards!

Great time at the National Child Care Summit held in DC at the US Chamber of Commerce highlighted significant insights: 1. The groundswell of support is growing, particularly due to the impactful contributions of organizations like Moms First. 2. HR leaders often seek a clear "roadmap" outlining actionable steps and potential outcomes at various levels to advocate for change within their organizations. 3. The consensus is that a sustainable childcare model necessitates collaboration among employers, governments, families, and caregivers. This collaborative approach has been the foundation of our work at Upwards emphasizing the importance of collective effort. 4. A crucial point raised by visionaries is the need to address the shortage of caregivers despite the existing support systems. Exploring and leveraging FFN (friendly, family, neighbor) networks is essential to meet this demand. 5. The overwhelming consensus at the summit was that the cost of childcare is a major concern, with many expressing a desire to eliminate this barrier if given the chance. Additionally, supporting the workforce and leveraging data were identified as key priorities for improvement. #ChildCare #SummitTakeaways