The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act allocated $39 billion in dedicated child care relief funding to states. The ARP Act funds began to flow to states during spring 2021, with the intention to get funds out the door and provide relief to providers and families as quickly as possible.  

This case study is part of Child Care Aware^® of America’s Marketing Toolbox, a member benefit that features resources with information and advice on marketing best practices in activities such as branding, reputation management, social media and much more. The Toolbox’s media relations resources include tip sheets on building relationships with reporters, identifying and preparing staff and clients for media interviews, and a press release template.  

On Thursday, October 28, President Biden announced a new framework for the Build Back Better Act, which includes $400 billion for child care and early learning investments over the next 6 years. If the Build Back Better Act is signed into law, it will dramatically transform the child care and early learning system for nearly every family with young children, as well as for child care providers.  

On many hot summer days, my Uncle Preston would drive down from Alexandria, VA to White Oak, VA in my Aunt Margret’s silver T-Top to pick me up for one of our many adventures. Summertime was always a great time of the year only if I didn’t have to go to summer school. He would drive me back to the Huntington Metro in Alexandria, and we would jump on the train and go past the DCA airport, watching planes take off, as we ventured into DC to visit the Smithsonian Museums and my favorite, the Air and Space Museum. Walking through the front doors, you see airplanes and spaceships all around you and can sit in pilot seats, imagining flying a plane or blasting off to space. It was incredible. These experiences are just a bit of what I was introduced to as a child, but I wonder, how many children have had these same experiences?