Helping children get off to a good, healthy start in life is one of the hallmarks of quality child care. It makes sense that quality child care programs would have policies in place that support good infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding.

The extreme cost of child care in the United States is a highly debated and recognized economic concern. According to Child Care Aware® of America, child care is unaffordable in 49 states plus the District of Columbia. Though it seems like there aren’t currently many assistance programs in place, legislators have taken notice of the issue and have not only put several in place but are also working on developing new ones every day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yvette Sanchez Fuentes has joined Child Care Aware of America’s (CCAoA) policy team as the deputy chief of public policy. She brings with her extensive experience in providing services to young children from low-income families as well fighting for policies that strengthen communities through access to affordable child care. Sanchez Fuentes will provide leadership and outreach to the government, CCAoA membership and the general public on issues relating to the early child care and education system. She will also refine and lead CCAoA’s policy and advocacy strategy.

A solar eclipse will take place on Monday, August 21 for the first time in the lower 48 U.S. states since 1979. During a solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth and blocks all or part of the sun for up to three hours, from beginning to end. On Monday, the longest period when the moon will completely block the sun—a total eclipse—will be about 2 minutes and 40 seconds and will only happen along the “path of totality” (below).  

Spotlight:

Celeste Joyner, Children’s College, Baltimore, MD

The Problem:

Two vegetarians, one pescatarian (who eats fish but no other meat), five omnivores. How does one provider feed such a diverse group of eaters?

Backpack, paper, pencils, and homework folder: for many families, that’s the standard shopping list for back-to-school season. However, one key item is missing: your child’s afterschool program! Choosing the perfect program for your child can make the transition from early child care to aftercare seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! We want to provide you with some tips that will make choosing a program easy and exciting.