Building off a busy legislative year for child care in 2023, we are already seeing earlyindicators of which states are prioritizing child careinvestmentsthis year.This is a key moment for states to prioritize child care, as it is unclear if there is a path forward in Congress to secure significant funding in 2024 before federal relief funding is fully exhausted and attention shifts to the November elections. This blog explores the states’ legislative landscape, governors’stated priorities and what’snext for states in 2024. 

Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) staff frequently serve as subject matter experts in emergency preparedness, response and recovery (EPRR). Related job duties typically include emergency preparedness plan reviews for child care programs, emergency preparedness training delivery, distribution of emergency supplies, and support to the child care workforce following a disaster. These responsibilities are typically added to another role within CCR&R and are often not listed in a job description. Many CCR&R staff had no experience or training in emergency preparedness, response and recovery before taking on the role. In many CCR&R organizations, emergency preparedness, response and recovery is a role that surfaces just after a disaster occurs and may be short-term. In other instances, usually driven by grant fund availability, emergency preparedness work is prioritized for a defined period of time, but not always sustained or embedded in ongoing service delivery.   

Child care providers play an essential role in the development and well-being of young children. However, the demanding nature of the job coupled with low wages may negatively affect their physical health, emotional well-being and overall quality of life. It is important for child care providers to prioritize self-care and wellness to ensure they are able to provide the best care possible for the children and families they serve. Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) can offer the support providers need to care for themselves while they care for everyone else.  

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are a set of powerful software tools used to create and display maps that help geographically illustrate and communicate complex problems. They can also highlight potential solutions — maps can help identify assets and resources, as well as understand underlying location-based trends in datasets. This wealth of information can be key for child care advocates to educate and inform local and state decision-makers about the challenges facing the child care community and the need to advance specific policy solutions.  

November marked the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, later renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). IDEA is the federal law that requires states and territories to provide services to more than 7.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities and developmental delays at no cost to their parents. This legislation ensures children with documented disabilities and developmental delays receive the free and appropriate education guaranteed to every student in the U.S.  

While there wasn’t a major national election in 2023, voters still had the opportunity to weigh in on various state and local offices, as well as ballot measures and propositions regarding child care this year. Even off-year elections provide a valuable opportunity for child care advocates to make their voices heard for candidates and policies that will support the needs of young children and their families.