Anne Hedgepeth

Anne Hedgepeth
Anne is a government relations and grassroots advocacy strategist, with experience motivating policy change at all levels of government. As Child Care Aware® of America’s Chief of Policy and Advocacy, she guides the organization’s public policy work, as well as supports the advocacy and awareness efforts of child care resource and referral agencies and other early learning stakeholders across the country. During her time at CCAoA, she successfully pushed Congress to invest over $50 billion in COVID-19 relief funding in child care and early learning and provided technical assistance and guidance to numerous state initiatives to advance a high-quality, affordable, and accessible child care system. Anne previously worked with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) where she helped to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and to update and implement Title IX regulations and guidance in schools across the country. Anne earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Gender Studies from Davidson College and a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University where she was a member of Pi Alpha Alpha. Anne joined CCAoA in September 2019.

Recent Posts

What President Biden’s Executive Order Means for Child Care

By Anne Hedgepeth on April 21, 2023

On Tuesday, April 18, 2023, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) that contains more than 50 directives to support child care, home-based care, family caregivers and long-term care. Child Care Aware of America attended the EO signing and celebrates the President’s action. 

Topics: Policy & Advocacy

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Newest Proposal Would Provide Robust Investments to Early Childhood Programs

By Anne Hedgepeth on May 19, 2022

Topics: Policy & Advocacy

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What Does the Build Back Better Act Mean for Child Care?

By Anne Hedgepeth on September 20, 2021

Year after year, CCAoA’s annual research report has found that the price of child care is too high for too many families. The good news is that change may be coming. Earlier this year, President Biden proposed big investments in child care and preschool. This month, Congress has put pen to paper and crafted legislation, called the Build Back Better Act, to make those investments a reality.

Topics: Policy & Advocacy

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Administration Prioritizes Child Care in Proposals

By Anne Hedgepeth on June 23, 2021

The past year showed just how essential child care is to the country and its economy. As the world reopens and parents return to work, policymakers are realizing that it is not sufficient to restore the child care sector to where it was prior to the pandemic.  

We have long known that despite the considerable investments that have been made for pandemic-related relief, the solution for an equitable and sustainable child care system lies in long-term, robust investment. Advocacy efforts over the past year made it clear that immediate relief was desperately needed. But we also need to keep in mind that the child care sector was broken long before COVID-19. What it requires is long-term investment to build a system that meets the needs of children, families and providers.  

Federal policymakers are stepping forward to champion child care. They are proposing big, long-term investments and identifying solutions that will transform the child care system.  

Topics: Policy & Advocacy

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New Proposals in Congress Support Stabilizing Child Care

By Anne Hedgepeth on July 24, 2020

As the COVID-19 health and economic crisis continues, the child care industry is pushed further towards the brink of collapse. Throughout the pandemic, the sector has adhered to public health guidance and ensured frontline personnel have access to care, however as the field moves towards additional reopening, and planning for the fall, additional support is needed to ensure child care programs, both center-based and family child care, outlast the pandemic. 

Topics: Policy & Advocacy, Coronavirus

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No Child Care Means No Recovery

By Anne Hedgepeth on June 05, 2020

 

In the wake of the coronavirus, child care is facing serious challenges. While the field has come together to ensure public health guidance is followed, that care is available for frontline personnel, and that additional reopening of the sector is approached appropriately, more is needed to ensure that child care programs, both center-based and family child care, survive in the long term.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Family & Community Engagement, Policy & Advocacy, Best Practices

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