What’s new? I’ve eaten outside at restaurants for the first time in 14 months. Oh, wait, not what you wanted to know. You wanted APNA news. Here’s what is happening: Conference 2021, Up Next, is happening and is sold out! Pent-up demand to be together has resulted in the quickest registrations ever. Sponsorships-snapped up. No hard-selling tactics necessary. We are truly excited about our great line-up of speakers and our great pink resort destination. 
If you didn’t get to register in time, there are still a few ways for you to join us. You can apply for the Judith Langer Merlin Scholarship or there is a sponsorship opportunity that includes registration. You can also email Kellie (admin@theapna.org) to be added to a wait list for available tickets in the case of cancellations.
For those who are not planning to travel in the fall, stay tuned for other virtual events we will be announcing later in the year.
As for industry updates, client demand remains high, and the availability of quality nanny candidates remains lower than normal. Every industry is suffering from a shortage of workers. My fervent hope is that we begin to see more nannies looking for jobs than we have in the last number of months.
Childcare is a very hot topic in the news. I find it so strange/disappointing that this subject has come up in every administration since Nixon, and then very little happens to help working parents, and particularly mothers. Because in the end, and it’s not just my opinion, the data supports the fact that it is still women who shoulder the lionshare of childcare responsibilities. The women who most need help are not necessarily our clients, but some may be the nannies whom we represent. Could the impact of the pandemic on the workforce be the turning point we need to see real change on this front? We can only hope.
Our webinars continue to help inform and educate us. Many thanks to Mike Coffey who had all the answers to our background check questions. Tune in this month for Kim and Jim Winblood for their talk on adding senior care to your businesses. It has been a tremendous lifeline for them.
Finally, we are here to serve our membership. Tell us how we can help you.
Your Pandemic President
Barbara Kline