We know professional conferences can be long and often times exhausting; learning can be hard work, right? Not at Symposium 2016! We want to make sure you take advantage of your down time here in Washington, D.C. to not only network with child care leaders, but enjoy some music, grab a healthy snack, and just catch up on your emails or master Candy Crush.

Implementation science is, at its basic level, applying the scientific process to the implementation of an evidence based curricula, intervention or practice. The purpose is to bridge the gap between the theory or knowledge of an intervention and its implementation by using an evidence-based framework to plan the execution of the intervention.

February is always a fickle month here in Arlington, Virginia, where we frequently jump between the potential for snow and 50+ degree days. That being said, Child Care Aware® of America remains constant in its efforts to advocate for high quality, affordable child care.

Below are just a few of the highlights from February.

Photo courtesy of Darcy Doyle-Hupf, Northwest’s Child

Earlier today, Congresswomen Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Katharine Clark (D-MA) introduced the "Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) Improvement Act of 2016."

Congratulations to Tracy Ehlert and the staff at Babies 2 Kids Learning Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. They have been named Provider of the Month for December 2015!