The importance of high-quality, affordable child care affects everyone. In the spirit of the holiday giving season, Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to share with you a special edition story in Faces of Child Care, a series of stories from individuals of various walks of life who are affected by child care.

Read Ashley’s story below to learn more about how you can help Child Care Aware® of America work to ensure that every family in America has access to high-quality, affordable child care.

Confused by the new grain requirements for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)? You’ll be happy to know that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently issued a memorandum that spells out exactly what CACFP means by “whole-grain rich” foods.

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on Children and Adolescents and Digital Media explores new recommendations for children’s media use. The report covers what we currently know about media use and how it affects young children and adolescents and makes recommendations for pediatricians and parents. These recommendations are designed to help adults make good choices that protect the health and safety of children, while understanding that media use is an important part of daily life.

Spotlight

Karen Ekdahl, Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center, Bellingham, Washington

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.