Earlier this week, the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan (R-WI), unveiled his much anticipated anti-poverty plan. The proposal, titled “A Better Way,” addresses federal programs that assist low-income families including TANF, SNAP, and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. In addition, the plan includes ideas on expanding access to 401(k)s for small businesses, and promoting access to affordable retirement advice.

Summer is here, and with it the pesky hassle of mosquitoes. This year, the threat of mosquitoes has been in the spotlight more than usual thanks to the Zika virus. There are many effective ways to avoid mosquitoes and prevent those annoyingly itchy mosquito bites.

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

May was a busy month for Child Care Aware® of America. We celebrated both mothers and child care providers across the nation as part of Mother’s Day and Provider Appreciation Day. Both serve an important role in not only nurturing but also educating children during crucial developmental stages in their lives.

Below are some additional highlights from May.

As you might remember from last week’s conversation, Gina Warner, CEO of the National Afterschool Association, talked about the importance of quality afterschool programming and what parents should consider in their search for care when their children are out of school. We also touched on the search for options for summer care and my anxiety about finding quality programming for my own kids. To ease my mind, I did a little bit of research and wanted to share my findings with you.

The importance of high-quality, affordable child care affects everyone. Child Care Aware^® of America is pleased to share with you our fourth story in Faces of Child Care, an eight-week series of stories from individuals of various walks of life who are affected by child care.