Childcare project
The childcare project was the main force that drove the energy for the creation of Centro Campesino. This was the main topic when migrant workers at the migrant camps where getting together to share their concerns about their working conditions. At those meeting workers came with and endless list of problems and concerns although one was raising above all others, Childcare. Migrant workers work long twelve hours shifts, sometimes longer, and they have a hard time trying to find someone to take care of their kids while they work. That is why out of that long list migrant workers decided to focus their energy in negotiating with Chiquita for the creation of a childcare facility within the camps.
Pretty soon the workers were faced with the cruel reality and where told by Chiquita that childcare was not their business, and that they weren't going to create any childcare facility. This response eventually led to the creation of the strong powerful organization we have now a days as childcare became the first struggle for Centro Campesino, formally incorporated in the year 2000. After a long organizing campaign and after negotiating with the lawyers of Chiquita International, Centro Campesino got a unit to start with the development of a Daycare facility within the camp.
Having a daycare represented a huge victory for migrant workers that no longer had to worry about their kids because they were well take care of at the 24 hour daycare. Centro Campesino paid for the expenses of the daycare for 6 year in a row. In 2005 LakeSide foods, current owner of the camp, was forced to take responsibility of the daycare and pay for all the expenses.
Centro Campesino addressed the additional need for childcare by working with Latina/os in Steele, Rice and Waseca Counties interested in securing their home-based childcare license. Centro Campesino has organized several childcare-related trainings and has developed a licensing orientation packet in Spanish for each county.
