The new year is a great time to reassess and ramp up your child care program’s emergency preparedness plans. Ready.gov encourages families to Resolve to Be Ready and we would like to help child care programs be ready in 2021 as well.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published December 18, 2020 but has since been updated with updated information. For the most up-to-date information about states' vaccine plans, please visit this page. 

On December 11, 2020, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for one of several COVID-19 vaccines under development. Prior to this authorization, the federal government and state health departments have been planning for vaccine distribution, with prioritization based on the individual risk for COVID-19 exposure. While the federal government has provided guidance on prioritization in distribution, each state is tasked with making its own distribution plan for the state population. Child Care Aware^® of America (CCA0A) is reviewing each state’s plan to understand how they are prioritizing child care providers to receive the vaccine and to ensure providers are treated equitably as a first step in ensuring access. As plans continue to evolve, we will update this blog and monitor other factors that may impact access. 

Takeaways:

• First Five Nebraska is sparking the early childhood conversation among business leaders through research, policy change and strategic engagement.
• First Five Nebraska’s study, “The Bottom Line,” shows gaps in child care costs Nebraska nearly $1.4 billion annually in lost family income, business productivity and state revenues.

Takeaways:

• Adventist HealthCare’s investments were a direct result of what they heard from employees
• Partnering with organizations, such as The Lourie Center and KinderCare, allowed Adventist HealthCare to move quickly and rely on the expertise of those organizations

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March, companies had to quickly adjust in order to support their employees with the changes that were taking place. For many, child care was the number one issue.

Child care is not only crucial for the development of young children, but also essential for the millions of working parents with young children. Parents rely on child care to help them enter, re-enter or remain in the workforce, but access to affordable, quality child care is often a significant barrier for many. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, families are experiencing additional challenges in finding, maintaining and affording child care that meets their needs.

Everyone can acknowledge that 2020 has been a year like no other. Leading a team in this new reality has reinforced for me the importance of good leadership practices relevant to communication, engagement, expectation setting and accountability. Based on my experience, I recommend leaders incorporate a few strategies to maximize team impact.