In today’s rundown: A look at the barriers to affordable, quality childcare. | And a chance for adults with “some college” to finish earning their degrees.

— For low-income, single mothers in our region, access to affordable, quality childcare can make it difficult for them to find better paying jobs.  ABC 7 News took a look at the barriers to affordable childcare.  The Women’s Foundation’s Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat and Grantee Partner Hopkins House were featured in the story:

— “Northern Virginia Community College will be part of a $15 million, nationwide initiative… to give adults the chance to complete degrees they started but did not finish,” according to The Washington Post. There are about 37 million people in the U.S. who have gone to college but have not finished earning degrees.

In today’s rundown: New census numbers give a clearer picture of what poverty looks like in the D.C. region and how the recession is impacting this area.  Plus, why two lawmakers have put a hold on a request for a national women’s history museum in the District.

— New census statistics show that three out of 10 children in the District lived in poverty last year, “with the number of poor African American children rising at a breathtaking rate,” according to The Washington Post. The number of children living in poverty also rose in the counties surrounding D.C.

— Those same numbers show that the recession has had a disparate impact on D.C., according to the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI reports that poverty rates jumped especially sharply for children, black residents, and residents living east of the Anacostia River.

— According to Jezebel.com: “Senators Tom Coburn and Jim DeMint won’t let the Smithsonian lease space to a women’s history museum — because the ladies already have their quilting museums, and because someone told them the museum was going to be pro-abortion. Seriously.”

In today’s rundown: Census Bureau data through a gender lens. | Low-income families benefit the least from federal programs designed to help Americans build wealth.

— The National Women’s Law Center has released a report analyzing detailed Census Bureau data.  Poverty Among Women and Families, 2000-2009: Great Recession Brings Highest Rate in 15 Years provides a gender analysis of the Census Bureau’s new report which provides little information broken out by gender.

— Low-income families benefit the least from federal tax breaks and programs designed to help Americans buy homes, save money, start businesses, pay for college and retire comfortably, says The Annie E. Casey Foundation.  A new report out today from the foundation found the highest earning taxpayers benefited the most from tax breaks and programs aimed at helping Americans build wealth.  Click here for details.

— Washington Women in Public Relations is accepting applications from local nonprofits serving women and girls for consideration as a pro bono client.  Click here for details. Applications are due October 15.

In today’s rundown: How women and men are expected to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.  Plus, star power is in town to push for a national women’s history museum.

— According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the recession ended in June of 2009.  However, since then, the U.S. has lost more jobs than it added.  The New York Times reports that many measure of economic activity have improved, except for payrolls.

— With midterm elections coming up in November, a new poll shows that women are expected to vote very differently from men. The poll found that 36 percent of women said they’d vote Republican while 43 percent said they’d vote Democrat.  The numbers were nearly reversed for men.  The poll also suggested that men were more likely to vote in November because they report being angrier, while women were more likely to report feeling hopeless.

— Tonight actress Meryl Streep, Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Carolyn Maloney will be at a fundraising dinner to support the creation of a National Women’s History Museum on the National Mall.  A vote on the museum, which would be at 12th & Independence, SW, is pending in the Senate.  Click here for details.

In today’s rundown: A push for a Senate bill that could help close the wage gap. | And a warmer, more dignified place for domestic violence victims, thanks to a volunteer with interior design experience.

— In an op-ed in The Washington Post, Valerie Jarrett pushes for legislation that will help close the wage gap between men and women in the United States.  In her piece, Jarrett writes about the importance of ensuring that women earn equal pay, given the fact they are the sole or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of American households.

— A Michigan interior designer put his skills to use at a women’s shelter in Grand Rapids, volunteering to redesign the shelter to make it more comfortable and functional.  He said the improvements make it a warmer environment that offer dignity to women who, for the most part, are victims of domestic violence.