MaryLee Allen, who for more than 40 years was a leader in advocacy for children’s welfare, health and safety with the Children’s Defense Fund, passed away on June 13, 2019. Allen joined CDF in 1974, the year after it was founded, where she worked on CDF’s first-ever policy report, Children Out of School in America. More recently, she worked to ensure the passage and effective implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act child welfare law.

Despite the fact that Fisher-Price issued a recall on April 12 of all 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play sleepers, there have been anecdotal reports that some of the sleepers are still in child care centers. The recall followed a safety warning from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price that said that 10 babies had died using the product. Just days after that warning, Consumer Reports connected the product to more than 30 infant deaths since 2009.

Child Care Aware® of America Releases 2019 Funding State Snapshots

Licensed child care is in short supply, but Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies can help

Today's job market requires many employees to work shifts that start or end after most child care programs open or close. More and more businesses operate around the clock. Many companies work in shifts, which means employees work in the early mornings, evenings, nights, rotating schedules, weekends, holidays or extended hours. These non-traditional schedules affect the lives of millions of families.

El mercado laboral de hoy requiere que muchos empleados trabajen turnos que comienzan o terminan después de la hora de apertura o cierre de la mayoría de los programas de cuidado de niños. Un número de negocios cada vez mayor se mantienen en operación las 24 horas del día. Muchas compañías trabajan sobre la base de turnos, lo cual significa que los empleados pueden trabajar ya sea temprano por la mañana, por la noche, en la madrugada, con horarios rotatorios, durante los fines de semana, en días feriados o con turnos extendidos. Estos horarios de trabajo no tradicionales afectan la vida de millones de familias.

The problem 

To protect the well-being of children in child care programs, federal law mandates that states set minimum health and safety training requirements for providers. What if a program seeks to go beyond the minimum?