The past year showed just how essential child care is to the country and its economy. As the world reopens and parents return to work, policymakers are realizing that it is not sufficient to restore the child care sector to where it was prior to the pandemic.  

We have long known that despite the considerable investments that have been made for pandemic-related relief, the solution for an equitable and sustainable child care system lies in long-term, robust investment. Advocacy efforts over the past year made it clear that immediate relief was desperately needed. But we also need to keep in mind that the child care sector was broken long before COVID-19. What it requires is long-term investment to build a system that meets the needs of children, families and providers.  

Federal policymakers are stepping forward to champion child care. They are proposing big, long-term investments and identifying solutions that will transform the child care system.  

Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) is excited to announce a new tool to strengthen the child care system workforce — the Child Care Career Center. The Child Care Career Center connects employers to professionals in all parts of the child care system and career stages. We proud that our job board houses job postings in every aspect of the child care system. 

Most people will spend about a third of their lives at work. With that much time dedicated to a particular place and group of people, a work environment that is positive, motivated, fun and inspires employees to take joy in their work can yield huge benefits and overall success for both employees and the business. 

The child care field is experiencing a historic moment. After years of being chronically underfunded, the child care sector has received over $50 billion in dedicated funding from the federal government, thanks to the passage of three COVID-19 relief packages. It is the largest public investment in child care in our nation’s history and gives states a crucial opportunity to implement policies that will have long-lasting impacts to stabilize and transform the industry.  With the recent receipt of significant federal dollars, states are searching for effective and sustainable uses for these funds that have the power to transform the future of child care. The good news is that there are already success stories from policies implemented in the last year that states can learn from and replicate.

StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to record, preserve and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds, and Child Care Aware^® of America recently partnered on a project to interview child care providers. The providers were asked about their personal journey in the child care field and the impact of COVID-19 on their work and life. 

Family child care providers work hard to maintain their businesses. Aside from caring for children, they also must track billing and attendance, maintain the cleanliness of their facilities, market their businesses, find supplies, seek out professional development opportunities and much more. Providers – particularly in home-based settings – often perform these additional tasks outside of the normal hours of operation, sacrificing precious personal and family time.