Child care has become a major issue this election season, highlighted throughout the debates and presidential candidate platforms alike. The focus has mainly been on families and the challenges they face when seeking high-quality, affordable child care. For military families this can be especially difficult. According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), active-duty military personnel move an average of once every two to three years. This results in children changing schools and child care providers frequently. In addition, the DoD reports that roughly 70 percent of military families do not live on base, making access to military-funded installation child care even more limited.

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.

Arlington, VA – Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), National Head Start Association (NHSA), and National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA) would like to congratulate Brenda Petith and the staff at Brenda’s Child Care, LLC in North Logan, Utah. They have been named Provider of the Month for September 2016.

Do you believe all families should have access to affordable, high-quality child care? Are you a federal employee or member of the military? Do you know anyone who fits this description? Then you still have two months to select Child Care Aware^® of America as your CFC charity of choice!

Child Care Aware^® of America has been awarded three MarCom Awards as part of a 2016 creative competition for marketing and communications professionals.

• Platinum Award: Child Care Aware^® of America 2016-2017 Calendar
• Gold Award: Child Care Works website
• Gold Award: Child Care Aware^® of America Annual Report

Child Care Aware^® of America was selected as a winner from more than 300 categories of print, web, video, and strategic communications.

Yesterday, the Department of Education issued a non-regulatory guidance on the early learning opportunities in the "Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015." The guidance does not include any required actions that state and local education agencies must follow, rather, suggested activities to help strengthen early learning programs.