Federal Policy Update 

Last week, Congress avoided a government shutdown with just hours to spare before the October 1 deadline when federal funding was set to expire. This is a huge relief, as a government shutdown would have temporarily disrupted critical programs that children, families and communities rely on. However, child care and early education programs are not in the clear yet. Congress was able to pass a short-term spending bill, called a continuing resolution or CR, to fund the government through November 17 at the same funding levels as FY23. Although this prevented a shutdown, it is still a temporary solution and only buys a small amount of time before we face the same threat again come November.

Many states have made progress on supporting child care access, affordability, and quality during their 2023 legislative sessions. These actions are particularly noteworthy as 72% ($37.45 billion) of federal relief funding approaches its spending deadline on September 30, 2023.  

Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2024 Board of Directors opens on August 18!  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, child care gained unprecedented levels of funding and public and policymaker support.  Now more than ever, we need to capitalize on that growing support to build a sustainable child care system that works for families, child care providers, businesses, and communities and fuels our economic prosperity and wellbeing. 

CCAoA’s vision is that every family in the United States has access to a high-quality, affordable child care system.  We work to realize that vision by: 

Negotiations for annual federal funding are in full swing, and we have a fight ahead to ensure child care and early education programs receivethe necessary investments to support children, families, and communities.