Last week, the early childhood field lost one of its fiercest champions with the death of Jacklyn (Jackie) Bezos. Jackie’s devotion to children’s development, her melding of heart and action, and her fearless embrace of life’s challenges reflect values that inspire us at Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) every day. In light of her passing, we honor Jackie’s legacy in her commitment to early learning and support of CCAoA’s mission.  

Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to support the reintroduction of the Child Care for Working Families Act and thanks Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) for their leadership on behalf of our country’s children, families, child care providers, and communities. 

Two weeks have passed since we concluded our most successful Symposium yet, and the energy from Child Care Strong: From Problems to Progress still resonates. Held from May 4–7 in Arlington, VA, CCAoA brought together national, state, and local child care leaders, advocates, and changemakers to collaborate on building a stronger child care system. 

There were truly too many amazing moments throughout the week to name here (search social medial channels for #ChildCareStrong and #Symposium2025 for more), so here’s a quick highlight reel of some of the most amazing moments. 

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On Jan. 29, Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) officially joined the Defense Department’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), through a formal induction ceremony. As part of this partnership, CCAoA became one of more than 200 new organizations joining MSEP, adding to the network of more than 850 employers dedicated to recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses in meaningful careers. 

Here’s the second part of a Q and A with Child Care Aware® of America’s Executive Director of Respite Care of America (RCoA) Fran Jamison and Senior Vice President of Program Impact Ariel Ford, we continue the conversation from part one regarding key takeaways from the National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action and their sessions.                    

On Dec. 3-4, Child Care Aware® of America’s Executive Director of Respite Care of America (RCoA) Fran Jamison and Senior Vice President of Program Impact Ariel Ford participated in the National Child Care Innovation Summit: Business Leaders in Action. The event, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), and presented by the David and Laura Merage Foundation, aimed to "dive deep" into how the business community can support their employees and working communities in tackling child care challenges that are preventing families and economies from thriving. Fran coordinated experts for a panel that highlighted the U.S. Military’s approach to child care, how parts of it might translate to the private sector, and how child care plays a critical role in national security. Ariel presented on a panel that highlighted emerging issues in child care in disaster preparedness, relief, and resilience.