Whitney Pesek, JD

NEW: Today, we joined @aclu.org to hold this administration accountable for its unlawful enhanced Defend the Spend policy & putting child care funding in a pointless administrative chokehold.

We urge the Department of Health and Human Services to comply with our request for information immediately.

Child care providers are receiving death threats, facing armed interrogations, and closing their services out of fear.

Why? Because Republicans sent a MAGA influencer to harass child care workers about claims of fraud that are unsubstantiated. 

Women are not safe in Trump’s America.

Minnesota families and child care providers scramble as federal funds hang in balance | CNN In the days since the Trump administration announced it would freeze federal child care payments to Minnesota amid an alleged fraud investigation, fear and confusion have spread almost as fast as the ...

Let's be clear: The Trump administration is punishing children, families, and hardworking child care providers because of a racist and fraudulent conspiracy theory posted by a bigoted YouTube account. This is not how a democracy should run.

A new public charge proposal would create barriers for millions of immigrant families seeking essential health, nutrition, & economic supports. Sign your organization onto the @pifcoalition.bsky.social comment by 12/18 to stand with immigrants & #ProtectFamilies: bit.ly/pif-public-charge

Yesterday, 33 advocates from across the country joined us on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to prioritize families, children, and early educators. With rising child care costs, low pay for educators, and threats to Medicaid and SNAP, robust federal investment in child care is more urgent than ever.

New Yorkers kept telling me the same thing: they’re thinking of leaving because they can’t afford to raise their kids here. Universal childcare isn’t just a promise — it’s how we make this a city for everyone.

Chicago day care teacher released from ICE detention Diana Santillana Galeano, the day care teacher detained by ICE officers last week, has been released from immigration detention, her lawyers said.

Celebrating the release of Miss Diana, the Chicago early educator who was ripped from her classroom last week.

We urge Congress to pass an updated #SensitiveLocationsAct that prohibits horrific and unnecessary violence by ICE at #childcare programs and schools.

abcnews.go.com/US/chicago-d...

Child Care and Early Education for Children With Disabilities and Their Families: Key Policies and Programs - National Women's Law Center In the United States, an estimated 2.2 million children ages 5 and under have a reported disability—which may be an intellectual, physical, and/or developmental disability. For these young children, a...

Children with disabilities rely on programs like CCDBG, Head Start, IDEA, and Medicaid for care and early education. But the Trump administration is jeopardizing them all—with a $1T Medicaid cut, a shutdown closing Head Start programs, and now gutting the department that oversees special education.

Getting new details on this now:

As the arrest unfolded, teachers pleaded with the agents telling them the teacher had a work permit. The agents went into multiple rooms looking for teachers while children were present. One teacher hid with a child in her care while the agents stormed the facility.

The taking of neighbors in communities around the country is so horrific.

And, right here - how can anyone justify this - violently taking a child care teacher out of her classroom?

Enraging is too weak a word to describe this.

#Momsky activate.

NWLC Applauds Nationwide Injunction Halting Trump Administration's Illegal Attempt to Deny Immigrant Children Access to Head Start - National Women's Law Center Washington, DC – A federal judge today issued a temporary nationwide injunction stopping the Trump administration from implementing or enforcing a policy that would prevent certain immigrant children ...

A federal judge blocked Trump's illegal move to push immigrant kids out of Head Start. This means children can keep learning and thriving without fear of being excluded—for now.

But the fight isn't over. We'll keep advocating until every child's right to early education is secure.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to raise their voices to protect the Head Start program!

Hundreds of groups push back on Trump denying lawful immigrants access to Head Start, other programs They oppose the administration’s decision to make more federally funded programs off limits to legally present immigrants and say it will be 'devastating' to U.S. citizen children.

Thank you to the 587,551 individuals and organizations who commented on how harmful this racist and xenophobic change to eligibility for #HeadStart and other programs would be to our communities, families, and children. www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/...

#immigration

We only have one day left to comment - act now! #HeadStart

‘We Are the Resources’: Head Start Is a Crucial Early Learning and Community Program for Families Nationwide Despite repeated attacks on the program, Head Start has a 60-year track record of providing high-quality services that prepare young children for school and set families up for success.

Despite relentless attacks on #HeadStart, the program plays a crucial role in supporting children’s early education & community leaders are speaking out.

Learn more about the importance of Head Start for communities across the country ⬇️
www.americanprogress.org/article/we-a...

Tell the Trump Administration: Immigrant Children Deserve Access to Early Education Don’t let them dismantle decades of Head Start access without a fight.

The Trump administration is suddenly changing the rules to block many immigrant families from #HeadStart.

They need to know we are paying attention and we oppose limiting immigrant kids’ access to early education.

Take action now: act.nwlc.org/a/headstart-...

While billionaires get tax breaks, families can’t even find affordable child care.

Thank you @murray.senate.gov & @bobbyscott.house.gov for putting families first with the Child Care for Working Families Act. It’s time our policies worked for children and early educators—not billionaires.

NWLC Condemns Trump Administration for Denying Immigrant Families Access to Early Learning, Health Services, and Other Important Programs - National Women's Law Center WASHINGTON (July 10, 2025) – The National Women’s Law Center strongly denounces the Trump administration’s latest move to block certain immigrant families from accessing a range of vital federal progr...

BREAKING: The Trump administration is attempting to block certain immigrants from accessing federal programs like early education, family planning, mental health, and substance abuse programs—using a rushed process to limit public pushback.

Read our full statement: nwlc.org/press-releas...

It’s not too late.

Call your Member of Congress now: act.nwlc.org/a/budget-calls

Immigrants Care: How Immigrant Early Educators Hold Up the Care Economy - National Women's Law Center

As we wrap #ImmigrantHeritageMonth, we’re naming what’s at stake: immigrant women are the heart of child care, yet the Trump administration’s harmful policies are pushing them out. Our brief with @weareunidosus.bsky.social shows how these choices threaten their futures—and our care system.

Sen. Thom Tillis denounces Medicaid cuts in Trump tax bill Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) on June 29 delivered a fiery speech on the Senate floor, denouncing steep cuts to Medicaid in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, a sprawling tax and immigration packag...

Sen. Tillis told the truth last night about the Big Ugly Bill racing through the Senate right now.

Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of working people & families. Anything short of a full rejection is a betrayal.

We need other Republican senators to join him: text NOCUTS to 32434 to take action.

Pie chart titled Americans' Unpaid Care Is Worth More Than $1.1 Trillion Annually showing the gender breakdown of the total value of unpaid care. About one-third of the pie, colored gold, is labeled Men $413 billion, and the remaining two-thirds, colored teal, is labeled women, $683 billion. Source: National Partnership analysis of American Time Use Survey, 2024. Based on an hourly wage of $16.38, the midpoint between mean wages for child care workers and home health/personal care aides per hour (BLS OEWS).

Fresh off the presses with @jessicamason.bsky.social: Americans’ unpaid caregiving is worth more than $1.1 trillion annually – and women are doing almost two-thirds of the work. #CareCantWait nationalpartnership.org/if-americans...

Debunking Myths About Head Start: How the Program Promotes Opportunity and Strengthens Families, Communities, and Economies Decades of research illustrate Head Start’s effectiveness and its ability to meet the unique needs of local communities—along with the crucial role it plays in state and local economies.

Head Start:
🐣 Boosts kids’ outcomes
🗣️ Centers families' preferences
🏠 Grows community & supports parents
💰 Strengthens state and local economies

Read more to learn more about Head Start & how you can advocate to protect it.
www.americanprogress.org/article/debu...

Heidy Sánchez, a nursing student, had her baby ripped from her arms and was deported. No criminal record. She's in Cuba; her baby cries for her in Florida.

Join the call Monday 6/9, 8pm ET: learn how to join the #DisappearedinAmerica national day of action.

RSVP: www.mobilize.us/notabovethel...

Excited to see CNN cite a critical fact sheet by @heyitskarla.bsky.social.

Check it out here: nwlc.org/resource/fou...

Decision Point: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2024 - National Women's Law Center Child care is crucial for the well-being of parents, children, and our nation. It enables parents to work and support their families or obtain education or training to get a better, more stable job. I...

Gaps in state child care assistance policies are leaving families without affordable care. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are working to gut crucial supports for families such as SNAP & Medicaid this week—all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.

Learn more: nwlc.org/resource/dec...

Holding It Together by Jessica Calarco: 9780593538128 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women. Holding It Together chronicles the causes and dire consequences. America runs on women—women who are tasked with holding society...

The economic incentive to exploit women has become stronger in recent decades because of Baumol's cost disease. Automation/outsourcing lowered the cost of other goods/services but not care. So it's increasingly hard to meet care needs without cutting profit
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/697130...

The Wage Gap Robs Mothers of What They’re Owed - National Women's Law Center In 2023, the most recent data available, mothers working full time, year-round were typically paid only 74 cents for every dollar paid to full-time, year-round working fathers.

In 2023, working moms were paid just 74 cents for every dollar dads were paid. That lost $19K each year could have paid for more than six months of groceries, six months of child care, and five months of rent. #MomsEqualPayDay nwlc.org/resource/equ...

For 100 days, we’ve been pushing back against the astounding array of threats to kids from the Trump Administration. We’ll keep you informed on the most urgent issues & we hope you join us as we continue to fight to protect the education, health, & well-being of all kids.

BREAKING: We're suing the Trump administration to protect Head Start, which provides early education, childcare, and other services for low-income children and their families.

President Trump doesn’t have the authority to dismantle this vital program.