It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Spencer, NC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“Such a wonderful place to work! Caregivers that genuinely care with office support that go above and beyond for staff/clients. Highly recommend for employment and senior in-home care support.”
“I bn with this company for Abt a year and I love working for them . They work with you,they care about ur personal life/ problems, really good at matching you with good clients..”
“I cannot say enough good things about this company and the caregivers they provided after my mom's recent accident and stay in a rehab facility. The staff were constantly in communication with us keeping us abreast of any little or big updates. Their attitudes were always helpful and they seemed to genuinely care. The caregivers they sent to sit with and take care of mom were EXCELLENT. I'm not sure how many different caregivers she had over the few weeks of her stay but there wasn't a single one that wasn't kind and extremely helpful. It took a tremendous load off of everyone in our family knowing that she was being well cared for when we couldn't be there. Thank you to Brandi, Joanne, Gina, and anyone I'm missing for everything you all did for us from the beginning of the process all the way to my mom's release today. Hopefully, we won't need your services again, but if we do, I know who I will be calling!”
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“Sandy is very knowledgeable of assisted living options in the Winston Salem area. She helped with a family member’s search with care and consideration. We highly recommend.”
“I highly recommend Sandy Bowen with Always Best Care. I called her with a very tight timeframe to find a suitable memory care facility for my family member. She asked a lot of questions about my loved one to try and get to know her as much as possible. She worked very fast and lined up several appointments for us to tour places within a matter of days. She explained the process to me every step of the way and made sure we stayed on track. She attended the appointments with me and asked questions that I would never think to ask. I can’t thank her enough.”
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“During an unexpected hospital stay, Joanne provided much needed assistance. She provided excellent care and supportive advocacy. It made dealing with the discomfort more bearable and gave me a safeguard to decipher the complicated choices to resolve health issues. I highly recommend this service.”
“If you are looking for attentive, quality home care look no further than Joanne and her team. A passion for excellence is driven for from this team. Family oriented and willing to work with all families.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Spencer, NC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Spencer, NC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Spencer, NC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
SPENCER, N.C. — While Independence Day, marking America’s 250th anniversary, has come and gone, the red, white, and blue is on full display this weekend (Aug. 28-30) at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Thirty-four diesel locomotives, a group of patriotic TTX boxcars, and one Erie-Lackawanna caboose in U.S. Bicentennial colors have been assembled around the turntable in front of the museum’s roundhouse for the America 250 Locomotive Celebration.The locomotives, ranging from the latest Class I high-tech power ...
SPENCER, N.C. — While Independence Day, marking America’s 250th anniversary, has come and gone, the red, white, and blue is on full display this weekend (Aug. 28-30) at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Thirty-four diesel locomotives, a group of patriotic TTX boxcars, and one Erie-Lackawanna caboose in U.S. Bicentennial colors have been assembled around the turntable in front of the museum’s roundhouse for the America 250 Locomotive Celebration.
The locomotives, ranging from the latest Class I high-tech power to older Alco, EMD, and GE units from short lines and museums, arrived from as far away as California. Wearing its Bicentennial paint, Santa Fe SD45-2 No. 7504 traveled from the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris, Calif., to join the lineup. No. 7504 is one of three locomotives wearing the same paint scheme they carried during the Bicentennial in 1976. (The other two are Milwaukee Road SD40-2 No. 156 now held by the Midwest Railway Preservation Society, and Norfolk & Western SD45 No. 1776 from the Virginia Museum of Transportation.)
More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the event, according to museum officials. This despite late-summer temperatures registering in the high 80s with humidity to match.
Trains Magazine and Trains.com are at the museum for the event. We are capturing the sights and sounds of this historic gathering and speaking with representatives of the various railroads and museums that have sent equipment. In both the pages of Trains, on Trains.com, and through our social media channels we will take you behind the scenes to find out how the event came together and discuss the development of the America 250 designs.
This display of red, white, blue, and a few other colors is a unique event. And while many of the designs have been featured in Trains and on Trains.com when they were announced, there is nothing like seeing them arrayed in front of the museum’s roundhouse. Come along with us as we explore a moment in railroad history that was 250 years in the making.
For more information about the North Carolina Transportation Museum visit its website.
For N.C. State senior Joshua Ni, voting early meant fitting a ballot into the rhythm of campus life.But earlier this year, the polling place he used in 2024 was moved from the Talley Student Union, making the trip less convenient for Ni and other students who might otherwise walk to the polls.Talley Student Union sits at the center of campus and is a short walk for many students. The center houses restaurants, apparel shops and several student organizations.“Clearly, moving it away from central campus to me seems l...
For N.C. State senior Joshua Ni, voting early meant fitting a ballot into the rhythm of campus life.
But earlier this year, the polling place he used in 2024 was moved from the Talley Student Union, making the trip less convenient for Ni and other students who might otherwise walk to the polls.
Talley Student Union sits at the center of campus and is a short walk for many students. The center houses restaurants, apparel shops and several student organizations.
“Clearly, moving it away from central campus to me seems like they wanted fewer students to vote,” he said after voting Thursday.
The new location at the N.C. State Western Boulevard Services building is about a mile away from Talley Student Union. To get there, students must cross either a two-lane road or the heavily trafficked four lanes on Western Boulevard.
The move followed a 3-2 vote by the Wake County Board of Elections in June. Republican board members rejected a proposal to keep Talley, which had hosted early voting during previous election cycles, including the 2024 general election.
Republican board members argued the Business Services building would be easier for voters arriving by car because it had more parking space. Opponents of the move said the Talley location was a familiar, accessible site for students.
N.C. State’s Pack the Polls voter engagement program is offering a free shuttle service between Talley and the new polling location from Oct. 21 through Oct. 31, the final day of early voting. The service was not running on the first day of voting, Thursday.
“Even then, it won’t compare to just being in the student union,” Ni said.
Wally Robertson, the chief judge at the new site, said it’s too early to determine whether the move affected turnout. He said voter totals and age ranges will be available through the Wake County Board of Elections website.
Karen St. Clair, who plans to greet voters next week and offer rides to those who need transportation, visited the new polling place Thursday to vote early and familiarize herself with the location.
“If I’m going to help people where I live, because I’m going to offer rides and bring them here, I need to see it,” she said.
SPENCER, N.C. — Marcus Neubacher has worked with the North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation for 10 years. Train enthusiast or not, Neubacher says the America 250 Locomotive Celebration was a unique experience for everyone.“This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of gathering,” Neubacher, the foundation's director of administration. “I mean this will never happen again. We can very confidently say that.”More than 30 locomotives, freight cars and cabooses from Class 1, short line and passenger rai...
SPENCER, N.C. — Marcus Neubacher has worked with the North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation for 10 years. Train enthusiast or not, Neubacher says the America 250 Locomotive Celebration was a unique experience for everyone.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of gathering,” Neubacher, the foundation's director of administration. “I mean this will never happen again. We can very confidently say that.”
More than 30 locomotives, freight cars and cabooses from Class 1, short line and passenger railroads gave visitors the chance to see living history in motion.
“This locomotive right here is our longest or furthest traveled locomotive," said Neubacher. "This is the Santa Fe 5704, which came out of the Southern California Railway Museum in Paris, California. They had to actually reconnect the track into the museum to get it out, to bring it out to us.”
Neubacher says the property opened in 1896 and originally served as a locomotive repair facility between Washington, D.C., and Atlanta. It has the largest operating roundhouse in North America with 37 bays.
“They would come onto the turntable, get turned to the right track and then go out like this track behind us here,” said Neubacher. “That would take them out to the yard and then, basically onto a train going somewhere across America.”
Organizers say thousands of people traveled from as far as Australia, Canada and England to attend the celebration.
“All these people come and stay in the hotels and Rowan County,” said Neubacher. “They eat at the restaurants, shop at the stores and that kind of thing, so it has a big economic impact for our area.”
Neubacher says trains helped connect North Carolina to the world and are important to the state’s history.
The museum also features aviation and automotive displays. It holds other family-friendly events throughout the year including a Day Out with Thomas in the fall and a Polar Express Train Ride, which starts in November.
Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.
DURHAM — At Kate’s Korner, the day begins early – children arriving, classroom doors opening, small voices calling for teachers, parents saying quick goodbyes before heading to work.For the childcare center’s staff, the morning comes with one less worry: they don’t have to figure out how to pay for care for their own children.The center provides employees with free childcare, a benefit owner Kate Goodwin says is an intentional investment in the workers who care for other people’s children. So...
DURHAM — At Kate’s Korner, the day begins early – children arriving, classroom doors opening, small voices calling for teachers, parents saying quick goodbyes before heading to work.
For the childcare center’s staff, the morning comes with one less worry: they don’t have to figure out how to pay for care for their own children.
The center provides employees with free childcare, a benefit owner Kate Goodwin says is an intentional investment in the workers who care for other people’s children. Some employees use vouchers, but for those who can’t, the center covers all but one week of care a month.
“As a business owner, I made a decision that my margins will be slimmer than most because I felt like this was the commitment I needed to make,” she said. “What we hear often is that our childcare providers can’t pay for the type of care and education they’re providing to others for their own child,” she said.
The approach comes as childcare providers across North Carolina continue to grapple with recruiting and retaining workers.
If childcare workers can’t afford care for their own children, it becomes harder for centers to maintain the workforce they need. Staffing shortages take the shape of smaller classrooms, shorter hours and reduced enrollment.
Kate’s Korner isn’t alone in offering childcare for its employees. In a survey of about 1,200 childcare providers across the state, 61% of directors said their programs already offered a childcare benefit to their employees.
But the way those benefits are funded varies. At Kate’s Korner, Goodwin said the center absorbs most of the cost. Meanwhile, other communities are testing whether businesses, nonprofits and governments can help shoulder that expense.
Watauga County offers an example of how communities can help offset those costs, while also supporting the broader workforce.
North Carolina’s labor force participation rate, or the percentage of those working or actively looking for work, is hovering around 58%, which is lower than the national average of around 61%. Business leaders say a lack of affordable childcare is a big part of the problem.
Childcare is one of the state’s lowest-paid professions. A study from Appalachian State University found that childcare workers earned an average of $30,600 a year, while the median monthly cost of childcare was $900. For a worker earning that average salary, one child in care would consume about a third of their gross income.
And for workers earning even less, including in rural counties, the cost of caring for their own children can push them out of the industry in search of higher-paying work.
To help ease a shortage of childcare in Watauga, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched a childcare assistance initiative last year to help childcare workers pay for the care of their own children with $40,000 in funding from local donors and businesses.
The program provided assistance to 18 childcare employees with 22 children, averaging $684 per child.
David Jackson, president of the chamber, said programs like the one in Watauga can also help strengthen local workforces by giving employees another reason to stay with a center.
“Center directors do not want to see their staff members just essentially handing their paycheck back,” he said.
The initiative is part of a larger effort to support the childcare workforce and help providers who are still recovering from the loss of federal funding that helped stabilize the industry.
Kentucky has taken a different approach to supporting providers statewide by investing state dollars.
The state launched its Free Child Care for Child Care Workers Program in 2022, which subsidizes care for workers who work at least 20 hours a week at a center, regardless of household income.
Kate Shanks, senior vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, said more than 5,300 families working in childcare benefited from the program over the past year.
She said lawmakers made the program permanent earlier this year.
“Quality childcare is a critical part of Kentucky’s economic infrastructure,” she said. “Childcare professionals provide an essential service that allows thousands of parents to go to work every day.”
At least nine other states have since enacted similar policies, according to the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
Goodwin said she supports creating a similar program in North Carolina to subsidize childcare for workers at centers across the state, and maybe expanding it to teachers, too.
“I don’t care if you say all childcare workers and educators get free childcare,” she said. “That’s an investment in our education system, all the way around.”
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