This month, child care advocates across the country showed up with Child Care Aware of America in a big way, and we couldn't be prouder.
For our annual advocacy day, advocates headed to Capitol Hill to demand child care remains at the top of policymakers’ agendas. Advocates from across the country joined as well by contacting Congress from wherever they were—their kitchen tables, offices, child care centers, and everywhere in between. Together, we sent a clear message to lawmakers: families and providers cannot wait for a stronger child care system.
Advocates from across the country visited over 160 elected officials' offices in D.C. and shared nearly 500 letters with their Members of Congress online.
But our advocacy didn't end there.
On May 8th, we celebrated Provider Appreciation Day® across the country, with more than 30 state and local proclamations officially recognizing the essential work of child care providers. From statehouses to city halls, leaders took a moment to affirm what our community has always known: child care providers are essential, and their work deserves to be recognized.
That is advocacy in action.
Haven't shared your proclamation yet? We want to celebrate your win. Send it to takeaction@usa.childcareaware.org so we can amplify it and cheer you on.
Even more recently, we also launched Child Care in America: 2025 Price & Supply, our annual report tracking the state of child care prices and availability across the country. National and state-level data are powerful tools for advocates. They give lawmakers concrete evidence of what families in their districts are facing and make the case for sustained investment in child care. Already, advocates have sent nearly 500 letters sharing this data directly with their policymakers, putting real numbers behind the stories you're telling in state capitals and on Capitol Hill.
The work continues. Congress is still making critical decisions about FY2027 funding, and every action—every letter, every visit, every proclamation—is part of building the pressure that moves policy. Your voice matters.
Advocacy is one of the most powerful tools we have. When constituents contact their elected officials directly, it moves the needle. Lawmakers and their staff pay attention to the volume, consistency, and personal stories behind the messages they receive. A letter from a child care provider describing what a funding cut would mean for the families she serves reinforces the message of a statistic on a page. A phone call from a parent who has struggled to find affordable care puts a human face on a policy debate that can otherwise feel abstract in the halls of Congress.
That's why every action you take contributes to something larger. Advocacy is cumulative. Policymakers notice when they hear from a groundswell of constituents. It signals to decision-makers that this community is organized, engaged, and not going anywhere. And when advocates show up together, as you continue to do, that signal becomes impossible to ignore. Change in policy rarely happens overnight, but it happens because people like you keep showing up, keep speaking out, and keep reminding those in power that you are counting on them.
Moments like these remind us that advocacy works when people like you use your voice. Child care providers, families, and children across this country are counting on advocates who are willing to stand up, speak out, and stay engaged.
If you're not yet part of our advocate community, now is the time. Join us and help shape the policies that shape children's lives.
Thank you for being part of this movement and for showing up for child care providers, families, and children every single day.