Following the close of 2016, we look back and reflect on our many accomplishments—from the launch of our 10^th Parents and the High Cost of Child Care report to the start of our Child Care Works movement, just to name a few. This year we have experienced tremendous growth and a steady dose of positive change. As an organization, Child Care Aware® of America has gone above and beyond to create and sustain a commitment to a quality workplace in support of children and families in policy and practice. Looking forward, we are prepared to make our impact during the first 100 days of the new administration and beyond to ensure that child care remains a top priority.

Below are some additional highlighted from December.

As the leaves change and the weather starts to turn cold, we shift our attention to important end-of-the year work, which includes the launch of our 10th Parents and the High Cost of Child Care report. Visit usa.childcareaware.org/costofcare for more information on this year’s report, which includes both state and county-level data on the cost of child care. We also continue to plan and build momentum around our Child Care Works movement following the election and lead-up to the first 100 days of the new administration.

Last week, Child Care Aware® of America’s policy team hosted a webinar that provided a debrief on the 2016 election. The presentation included details on key staff for the incoming Trump Administration, the breakdown of the membership of the 115^th Congress, and the results of numerous elections at the state level. Our team also reviewed President-Elect Trump’s child care proposal, which was introduced in September, and outlined potential legislation that may support child care initiatives next year.

We are now officially into fall! Leaves are finally starting to change, and the holidays are right around the corner. With the close of October comes the 2016 elections, which we continue to follow closely as both candidates have elevated the issue of child care in their platforms. We invite you to visit our Child Care Works movement website, designed to improve child care by shifting public opinion, generating policy solutions, and securing legislative victories.

Below are some additional highlights from October.

The intended purpose of early education is to help close the school achievement gap by promoting equitable access to the school readiness opportunities afforded by high quality early education. Access means affording all our children the opportunity to enter through the front door of early education, and it also means keeping them from being pushed out the back door.
– Dr. Walter Gilliam, Child Care Aware® of America Board member