April Dodge-Ostendorf

April Dodge-Ostendorf
April Dodge-Ostendorf, MSW, is Senior Vice President of Strategy and Advancement at Child Care Aware® of America. With nearly 25 years of experience advancing social service systems for children and families at local, state, and national levels, she specializes in organizational leadership, fund development, and strategic alignment.

Recent Posts

Leading Forward Together: Your Invitation to Kansas City

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on August 13, 2026

 

Topics: Events, childcarestrong, leadership, leadershipinstitute

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Shape the Future of Child Care: CCAoA is Seeking Board Members

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on June 09, 2026
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A Funder’s Perspective: Partnering for Resiliency

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on March 08, 2024
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The Art of the Possible - A Tribute to Departing CEO, Dr. Lynette Fraga

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on December 12, 2022

The ways that Dr. Lynette M. Fraga will leave her mark on Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) are innumerable. As we think about Lynette’s departure as CEO on January 11, 2023, many of us are reflecting on the moments, experiences and inspirational words she has shared that will stick with us. A personal favorite among her familiar quotes is, “What’s the art of the possible?”  

As Lynette shared at CCAoA’s 2022 Leadership Institute, she first came across this phrase from the iconic book, From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early ChildhoodDevelopment, which referenced early childhood intervention as “…an individualized strategy designed to increase the probability of a desired outcome, and not as a developmental panacea for all children under all circumstances. It is the ‘art of the possible’, based on the science of early childhood development.” 

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How to Use AmazonSmile to Support CCAoA [2022]

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on July 13, 2022

This year, Amazon Prime Day is July 12-13. Before you take advantage of the sales, be sure to set Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) as your preferred charity in AmazonSmile.

 

What is AmazonSmile?

Amazon makes a donation to nonprofits like Child Care Aware® of America every time shoppers purchase from AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is the same as Amazon.com—same products, same prices, same service. AND you get to help our cause at no cost to you! When shoppers use the AmazonSmile link to shop from, Amazon then donates 0.5% of eligible products' prices to the organization of your choice.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, News

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Promising Practices: Advancing Family Partnerships

By April Dodge-Ostendorf on April 26, 2019

In 2017, Early Learning Indiana (ELI), with the support of the Lilly Endowment, launched the Family Engagement Prize Competition. Recently completing their second year, this statewide prize competition highlights family engagement innovation and excellence in early care and education (ECE) programs. The Prize Competition celebrates the exemplary actions of ECE professionals to empower families’ in their role as their children’s first teachers! Over the past two years programs have been recognized for practices like, offering parenting classes, job placement, housing, and food and fuel assistance, as well as parent-child engagement materials to use at home.

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

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