Our policy agenda provides the compass that guides our efforts and keeps us driving toward our ultimate goal of serving all children, families and ECEs.

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At Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), we have a vision for the future of child care: Every family in the United States has access to a high-quality, affordable child care system. The child care system supports children’s growth, development and educational advancement and creates positive economic impact for families and communities.

The current reality, however, is that our child care system is broken. It does not work for early childhood educators (ECEs) who are doing the difficult and important work of caring for our youngest children without a living wage. It does not work for families who are trying to access affordable child care so they can participate fully in our economy. It does not work for employers who face challenges recruiting and retaining workers because of gaps in the child care system. And, most importantly, it does not work for children. 

Our Work Public Policy Agenda

Too often, our children spend their days (and increasingly, due to nonstandard hours work, their nights) in substandard care. This problem is particularly acute for children with disabilities, living in rural areas, from low-income families, from immigrant families, and other vulnerable communities.Our country still has a long way to travel to achieve the CCAoA vision of a high-quality and affordable child care system that is accessible to all.

Fortunately, the national conversation around child care has come out of the shadows and into the forefront of public policy. More stakeholders are joining the discussion – parents, providers, employers and policymakers. These stakeholders are coming together to make the argument that without access to high-quality, affordable child care, the opportunity for economic stability for families, and the opportunity for economic growth for communities, will remain out of reach. Our communities need comprehensive policies that are child-centered, family-engaged, equity-driven and community-focused.

CCAoA takes these policy goals as our guiding principles, directing our advocacy work for America’s children. CCAoA is uniquely positioned to chart the course toward an effective, equitable child care system. This policy agenda provides the compass to lead us on this journey, guiding our efforts and keeping us driving toward the ultimate goals of serving children, families and ECEs.At this crucial time, when policymakers at all levels are beginning to understand the role of child care in our communities and in our economy, CCAoA is a trusted leader in the fight for a child care system that works for all. Looking forward, this policy agenda will serve to guide our work with stakeholders and partners to make such care a reality for our nation’s children.

Download the 2020-2022 Policy Agenda (PDF)

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