Lena Bilik
@lbilik.bsky.social
🌱 Senior Program Manager @ Roosevelt Institute / Roosevelt Forward
🌱 Care economy, worker power, gender & economics
🌱 Opinions my own
🌱 Care economy, worker power, gender & economics
🌱 Opinions my own
Spoke to @newrepublic.com re: childcare, & you'll hear me say this again, until we get a childcare system that works for families AND workers:
“In order to expand a childcare system to be even close to universal, you have to improve pay and benefits for the workforce,” Bilik said. shorturl.at/GT1Tn
“In order to expand a childcare system to be even close to universal, you have to improve pay and benefits for the workforce,” Bilik said. shorturl.at/GT1Tn
Is Universal Childcare the Democrats’ Winning Issue This Year?
The policy is catching fire in the party as a key plank in addressing the affordability crisis. The question is whether it will motivate midterm voters this fall.
shorturl.at
January 23, 2026 at 2:34 PM
Spoke to @newrepublic.com re: childcare, & you'll hear me say this again, until we get a childcare system that works for families AND workers:
“In order to expand a childcare system to be even close to universal, you have to improve pay and benefits for the workforce,” Bilik said. shorturl.at/GT1Tn
“In order to expand a childcare system to be even close to universal, you have to improve pay and benefits for the workforce,” Bilik said. shorturl.at/GT1Tn
Reposted by Lena Bilik
🎊 Exciting news: We’re proud to introduce our 2026 cohort of think tank fellows!
This inspiring group will help advance our #GoodLife vision of shared prosperity and power for working people.
Meet the new Roosevelters ⬇️
This inspiring group will help advance our #GoodLife vision of shared prosperity and power for working people.
Meet the new Roosevelters ⬇️
Roosevelt Institute Welcomes 2026 Class of Think Tank Fellows
Today, the Roosevelt Institute announced its winter 2026 cohort of think tank fellows—a group of scholars, policymakers, and public intellectuals whose work collectively advances a democratic vision f...
rooseveltinstitute.org
January 22, 2026 at 1:34 PM
🎊 Exciting news: We’re proud to introduce our 2026 cohort of think tank fellows!
This inspiring group will help advance our #GoodLife vision of shared prosperity and power for working people.
Meet the new Roosevelters ⬇️
This inspiring group will help advance our #GoodLife vision of shared prosperity and power for working people.
Meet the new Roosevelters ⬇️
Reposted by Lena Bilik
'Why aren't they in the streets' is answered almost every day in my small town by people in the streets! Rather than asking 'why aren't they in the streets' it's worth asking 'why isn't your media showing them in the streets' and 'who is served by downplaying resistane in its myriad forms.'
The idea that there are no protests in the US and no one is standing up to Trump is proving incredibly hard to kill over here in Germany. It’s become dogma, utterly detached from empirical reality.
I wonder if the people who keep talking like that understand they’re perpetuating regime propaganda.
I wonder if the people who keep talking like that understand they’re perpetuating regime propaganda.
January 21, 2026 at 3:48 PM
'Why aren't they in the streets' is answered almost every day in my small town by people in the streets! Rather than asking 'why aren't they in the streets' it's worth asking 'why isn't your media showing them in the streets' and 'who is served by downplaying resistane in its myriad forms.'
Survey of parents: 1 in 5 said they had to cut back on childcare bc of cost. Important to note what this means in practice: forgone wages, sometimes lost jobs, when families's budgets are already so precarious and close to the brink. & the federal freeze will only make this worse.
shorturl.at/sSeGg
shorturl.at/sSeGg
Parents are cutting back on child care as costs stretch budgets
Research shows 1 in 5 families face child care hardships because of the expense, with single mothers most affected.
shorturl.at
January 14, 2026 at 8:05 PM
Survey of parents: 1 in 5 said they had to cut back on childcare bc of cost. Important to note what this means in practice: forgone wages, sometimes lost jobs, when families's budgets are already so precarious and close to the brink. & the federal freeze will only make this worse.
shorturl.at/sSeGg
shorturl.at/sSeGg
Neighbors standing guard over churches so that parents can have secret meetings about how to keep daycares safe. This is what's happening in the Twin Cities right now.
January 14, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Reposted by Lena Bilik
Minnesota Students Are Living in Perilous Times, Two Teachers Explain (Opinion): The federal government is committing the "greatest constancy of deliberate community harm."
Minnesota Students Are Living in Perilous Times, Two Teachers Explain (Opinion)
The federal government is committing the "greatest constancy of deliberate community harm."
www.edweek.org
January 14, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Minnesota Students Are Living in Perilous Times, Two Teachers Explain (Opinion): The federal government is committing the "greatest constancy of deliberate community harm."
Reposted by Lena Bilik
The child care system is under attack. Threatening funding cuts undermines program integrity & risks care for children. And empowering “citizen journalists” to do the work of gov’t investigators endangers early educators & children.
S/o @kcpeeks.bsky.social
www.americanprogress.org/article/trum...
S/o @kcpeeks.bsky.social
www.americanprogress.org/article/trum...
Trump’s Attack on Child Care Funding Undermines Early Educators, Shortchanges Children, and Increases Costs for Families
The Trump administration leveraged allegations of fraud in Minnesota in an attempt to freeze essential child care funding, a move that reflects a dangerous, broader posture toward the early childhood ...
www.americanprogress.org
January 12, 2026 at 10:43 PM
The child care system is under attack. Threatening funding cuts undermines program integrity & risks care for children. And empowering “citizen journalists” to do the work of gov’t investigators endangers early educators & children.
S/o @kcpeeks.bsky.social
www.americanprogress.org/article/trum...
S/o @kcpeeks.bsky.social
www.americanprogress.org/article/trum...
Thinking about this a lot this week, re:....everything....
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
January 9, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Thinking about this a lot this week, re:....everything....
Looking forward to hearing more details about the childcare plan in NY, (esp around workforce compensation!). But for now, leaning into hope. Proud to live in a state that shows us that in these dark times, the government CAN still do what it's truly here to do: work for the people.
This is what it looks like when government gives the child care crisis the attention it deserves.
A statewide roadmap towards universal childcare, universal 2-care in NYC, and a break from a market that has priced families out in New York, reflecting a nationwide crisis.
A statewide roadmap towards universal childcare, universal 2-care in NYC, and a break from a market that has priced families out in New York, reflecting a nationwide crisis.
Breaking News: Gov. Kathy Hochul, partnering with Mayor Zohran Mamdani, will unveil a plan to expand free or affordable child care for New Yorkers across the state.
January 8, 2026 at 6:11 PM
Looking forward to hearing more details about the childcare plan in NY, (esp around workforce compensation!). But for now, leaning into hope. Proud to live in a state that shows us that in these dark times, the government CAN still do what it's truly here to do: work for the people.
Reposted by Lena Bilik
tapping the sign www.thenation.com/article/poli...
January 7, 2026 at 6:26 PM
tapping the sign www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Reposted by Lena Bilik
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
January 7, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
Reposted by Lena Bilik
Not coincidentally, the states losing federal money are among the few that guarantee families more than the most inhumane level of cash assistance.
January 6, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Not coincidentally, the states losing federal money are among the few that guarantee families more than the most inhumane level of cash assistance.
I wrote in July about the sorry state of children & family policy in the US. Even then it was hard to imagine things getting worse for poor children, but the cruelty just keeps escalating.
Don't let anyone tell you these lawmakers are "pro-family".
shorturl.at/V2ty5
Don't let anyone tell you these lawmakers are "pro-family".
shorturl.at/V2ty5
January 6, 2026 at 4:20 PM
I wrote in July about the sorry state of children & family policy in the US. Even then it was hard to imagine things getting worse for poor children, but the cruelty just keeps escalating.
Don't let anyone tell you these lawmakers are "pro-family".
shorturl.at/V2ty5
Don't let anyone tell you these lawmakers are "pro-family".
shorturl.at/V2ty5
Reposted by Lena Bilik
This is a lot like "defund Planned Parenthood." There we saw that when a provider closes there isn't someone else waiting in the wings to swoop up and provide the care. And "refunding" doesn't bring orgs back to life - staff have moved on, leases are lost, etc.
After the Trump administration shut off all childcare funding to Minnesota, over 200,000 children will lose access to care. Centers say they'll have to close. minnesotareformer.com/2025/12/31/m...
Minnesota child care providers say Trump’s funding freeze will shut down their businesses • Minnesota Reformer
Child care center owners and Minnesota Democratic leaders decried on Wednesday the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding to the state, which they said would cripple an already fragile indus...
minnesotareformer.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:36 PM
This is a lot like "defund Planned Parenthood." There we saw that when a provider closes there isn't someone else waiting in the wings to swoop up and provide the care. And "refunding" doesn't bring orgs back to life - staff have moved on, leases are lost, etc.
The impacts of this admin recklessly shutting off all childcare funding to a state are grave. Our childcare system is struggling from an EXISTING supply crisis - anything that closes programs will have ripple effects on children, care workers, folks' ability to work, & the economy for years to come.
After the Trump administration shut off all childcare funding to Minnesota, over 200,000 children will lose access to care. Centers say they'll have to close. minnesotareformer.com/2025/12/31/m...
Minnesota child care providers say Trump’s funding freeze will shut down their businesses • Minnesota Reformer
Child care center owners and Minnesota Democratic leaders decried on Wednesday the Trump administration’s freeze on federal funding to the state, which they said would cripple an already fragile indus...
minnesotareformer.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:48 PM
The impacts of this admin recklessly shutting off all childcare funding to a state are grave. Our childcare system is struggling from an EXISTING supply crisis - anything that closes programs will have ripple effects on children, care workers, folks' ability to work, & the economy for years to come.
Reposted by Lena Bilik
Given the #AffordabilityCrisis, it’s no surprise that @lbilik.bsky.social’s feature on universal childcare in @usatoday.com made our #Bestof2025.
Check out our blog on New Mexico’s investment to support families and subsidize childcare.
🔗 rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/new-mex...
Check out our blog on New Mexico’s investment to support families and subsidize childcare.
🔗 rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/new-mex...
December 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Given the #AffordabilityCrisis, it’s no surprise that @lbilik.bsky.social’s feature on universal childcare in @usatoday.com made our #Bestof2025.
Check out our blog on New Mexico’s investment to support families and subsidize childcare.
🔗 rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/new-mex...
Check out our blog on New Mexico’s investment to support families and subsidize childcare.
🔗 rooseveltinstitute.org/blog/new-mex...
We all know that the affordability crisis is not a "con". The real "cons" as we see them come from the way US policies privilege corporations and the ultra-rich over regular people. Check out our thoughts 🧵:
Calling the affordability crisis a “con” lets the real cons off the hook.
Americans are being squeezed by policy choices that suppress wages & tilt power toward corporations & the ultra-rich.
Our experts have tracked the data, & the story is clear.
🧵 on what’s driving today’s economic pressure 👇
Americans are being squeezed by policy choices that suppress wages & tilt power toward corporations & the ultra-rich.
Our experts have tracked the data, & the story is clear.
🧵 on what’s driving today’s economic pressure 👇
December 5, 2025 at 7:27 PM
We all know that the affordability crisis is not a "con". The real "cons" as we see them come from the way US policies privilege corporations and the ultra-rich over regular people. Check out our thoughts 🧵:
Reposted by Lena Bilik
When families can’t afford care but billionaires grow richer, the system isn’t working.
In #FiresideStacks🔥, @lbilik.bsky.social highlights how voters nationwide are pushing for a different path—one rooted in collective care.
https://www.firesidestacks.com/p/care-over-concentrated-wealth
In #FiresideStacks🔥, @lbilik.bsky.social highlights how voters nationwide are pushing for a different path—one rooted in collective care.
https://www.firesidestacks.com/p/care-over-concentrated-wealth
November 25, 2025 at 6:17 PM
When families can’t afford care but billionaires grow richer, the system isn’t working.
In #FiresideStacks🔥, @lbilik.bsky.social highlights how voters nationwide are pushing for a different path—one rooted in collective care.
https://www.firesidestacks.com/p/care-over-concentrated-wealth
In #FiresideStacks🔥, @lbilik.bsky.social highlights how voters nationwide are pushing for a different path—one rooted in collective care.
https://www.firesidestacks.com/p/care-over-concentrated-wealth
Reposted by Lena Bilik
People want a government that helps everyone build a stable life.
This week, @lbilik.bsky.social discusses the nationwide momentum behind taxing concentrated wealth to fund care—the new mainstream for progressive policy. #FiresideStacks🔥
https://bit.ly/4i7SgIU
This week, @lbilik.bsky.social discusses the nationwide momentum behind taxing concentrated wealth to fund care—the new mainstream for progressive policy. #FiresideStacks🔥
https://bit.ly/4i7SgIU
November 21, 2025 at 9:19 PM
People want a government that helps everyone build a stable life.
This week, @lbilik.bsky.social discusses the nationwide momentum behind taxing concentrated wealth to fund care—the new mainstream for progressive policy. #FiresideStacks🔥
https://bit.ly/4i7SgIU
This week, @lbilik.bsky.social discusses the nationwide momentum behind taxing concentrated wealth to fund care—the new mainstream for progressive policy. #FiresideStacks🔥
https://bit.ly/4i7SgIU
Americans are sick of being told “we can’t afford" policies that we need, like public childcare or school lunch programs. They know the truth: we CAN afford it. It's just that for decades, lawmakers have failed to redistribute resources to do so. My latest @rooseveltforward.org:
tinyurl.com/4742vf6r
tinyurl.com/4742vf6r
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Americans are sick of being told “we can’t afford" policies that we need, like public childcare or school lunch programs. They know the truth: we CAN afford it. It's just that for decades, lawmakers have failed to redistribute resources to do so. My latest @rooseveltforward.org:
tinyurl.com/4742vf6r
tinyurl.com/4742vf6r
Fantastic piece from @annielowrey.bsky.social that gets at the many real challenges that arise from actually implementing a universal childcare system - but not letting that stop us from trying. A 🧵: (1)
November 6, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Fantastic piece from @annielowrey.bsky.social that gets at the many real challenges that arise from actually implementing a universal childcare system - but not letting that stop us from trying. A 🧵: (1)
Reposted by Lena Bilik
This video is devastating. Imagine dropping your child off at daycare, only to learn that ICE took a beloved caregiver in front of the children minutes after. Imagine going to work to care for beloved children, only to be ripped away from them and your own family by ICE.
Federal agents pulling a woman out of Rayito Del Sol, a daycare by Lane Tech high school
November 5, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This video is devastating. Imagine dropping your child off at daycare, only to learn that ICE took a beloved caregiver in front of the children minutes after. Imagine going to work to care for beloved children, only to be ripped away from them and your own family by ICE.
Reposted by Lena Bilik
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
November 5, 2025 at 12:49 PM
ah, perhaps instead of pumping millions into endless factional infighting Dem donors could invest in making local Dem organizations genuine civic spaces that can reach people during and between elections
Head Start closures will have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences. Because the million kids who rely on the program don't have other options. And so, we're likely to see:
⬇️maternal employment
⬆️child poverty, hunger, and homelessness
⬇️school readiness and achievement long-term
⬇️maternal employment
⬆️child poverty, hunger, and homelessness
⬇️school readiness and achievement long-term
November 4, 2025 at 7:07 PM