On Thursday, March 30, 2017, around 6 p.m., a fire was reported under a section of I-85 in Atlanta. The fire ultimately caused a section of the interstate to collapse around 7 p.m., stranding motorists for hours and creating a more than five mile backup of traffic. The mayor has described this event as a ‘transportation crisis’, and this section of the I-85 will remain closed for the foreseeable future. On Thursday evening Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency and vowed to allocate resources aimed to reduce traffic disruption. Luckily no one was injured in the collapse, a testament to the great work of the fire and police departments who responded to the incident and quickly evacuated the area.

Being a child of a father serving in the U.S. Air Force looks glamorous (aside from being called an “Air Force Brat”)! I got to travel the world and see things most other children didn’t get to see. For instance, I lived in Italy for 3 years! My triplet sisters, Celeste, Courtney, and I were only 5 years old. and my older brother, Dennis, was 10.

The most recent data shows that millennials are having children later in life than the generation before them. According to a study by Goldman Sachs, the median age for millennials to get married has increased from 23 to 30!

As I get older, I am bombarded with the following question: “When are you going to have children, Mia?”  It happens in every single family conversation! I usually shrug off the question and say that I’m just not ready. The truth? I am a struggling millennial, and between paying off my student loans, paying off my car, paying for insurance, and paying for the occasional meal out, I just can’t afford children. At least not right now.

Arlington, VA, March 6, 2017 – The Children’s Leadership Council (CLC) has announced the appointment of Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., as Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. The CLC is a coalition of more than 50 of the nation’s major organizations dedicated to improving the lives and opportunities of American babies, children, and youth. Nationwide, CLC
members are working every day to improve the health, education, and well-being of children and youth in order to prepare them for school, work, and life.

The CLC is the only national children’s coalition solely dedicated to supporting, protecting, and advancing investments in our nation’s children from birth through young adulthood and across the issue spectrum, including: children's health; early care and education; child welfare; youth development; and economic support for children and families to ensure that children's basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, and economic stability are met.

Child Care Aware® of America’s Executive Director, Dr. Lynette M. Fraga had the pleasure of speaking with The Preschool Podcast, a platform for leaders in early childhood education to share their experiences, thoughts and insights in the world of early learning.