Doug Emhoff

Second Gentleman Visits Mass. School to Talk Child Care

Nutritious meals, increased salaries for child care providers and more access for low income families -- all are critical elements, Emhoff said, to strengthening America's workforce

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Second gentleman Doug Emhoff was in Milford, Massachusetts, Monday touring Mother Hubbard Pre-School, a stop on Vice President Kamala Harris' husband's tour of the country to promote the Biden administration's Build Back Better agenda.

Emhoff explained how it will help more families to access high quality child care, but said his main job is to listen.

Jessica Ciffizzari, lead teacher of the school founded by 91-year-old Dorothy Vecchiolla in 1961, when the single mother couldn't find child care for her five children, said, "We're like the base of a pyramid right? So we lay the foundation for teaching social, emotional learning."

Ciffizzari and Director Pam White told Emhoff about the expertise their often college-educated employees bring to their teaching curriculum.

"Day care isn't just babysitting. It's an education for these children," White said.

She added that federal stimulus money was critical to helping the school stay open through the pandemic.

Emhoff read to the children, then got a tour and helped serve lunch.

Nutritious meals, increased salaries for child care providers and more access for low income families -- all are critical elements, Emhoff said, to strengthening America's workforce.

"And one of the benefits of going home to dinner every night with the Vice President of the United States is she will invariably say, 'Hey Dougie, how was your day?' And then I'll literally go right back to her and talk to her about exactly what I've seen in the field."

Emhoff said he's already been to 25 states and will continue his listening tour around the country gathering on-the-ground information to share with the administration.

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