Strengthening child care: A new tool to help you advocate for a resilient child care system

Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) organizations remain a vital force in connecting families, providers, businesses, and policymakers to build a stronger child care infrastructure—because making child care strong makes everyone stronger. Yet despite their profound impact, CCR&Rs are often underrecognized and underfunded. It's time to change that. 

CCR&Rs are uniquely positioned to transform child care systems, but they need the recognition and support to do so. To help achieve that goal, CCAoA is pleased to share our latest resource, Making States and Communities Child Care Strong: The Role of Child Care Resource & Referral Organizations, a position statement designed to child care advocates a tool they need to make real change in the child care system.  

This position statement: 

• Highlights the importance of CCR&Rs and their impact on communities; 

• Demonstrates what an effective CCR&R looks like and the community-based services they offer; and 

• Equips policymakers, state administrators, community leaders, businesses, and CCR&Rs with actionable recommendations to work alongside CCR&Rs and strengthen child care infrastructure. 

CCR&Rs serve as the trusted link between families, child care providers, businesses, and policymakers—helping to build sustainable, high-quality child care systems that benefit entire communities. They also: 

• Empower families. By helping parents find affordable, high-quality child care, CCR&Rs ensure families can work, advance their careers, and provide stability for their children. 

• Strengthen child care providers. Through training, business support, and technical assistance, CCR&Rs equip providers with the tools they need to deliver safe, nurturing, and educational environments. 

• Support businesses and economic growth. Reliable child care keeps businesses running by reducing absenteeism and turnover among working parents. CCR&Rs provide data-driven solutions to help employers support their workforce. 

• Advocate for better policies. CCR&Rs provide unbiased, reliable data that informs child care policies and funding decisions at the local, state, and national levels—ensuring child care systems work for all families. 

Whether you’re a policymaker shaping child care legislation, a business leader looking to support your workforce, or an advocate working to make high-quality care accessible, this position statement provides the knowledge and strategies needed to take action.  

Now is the time to make sure CCR&Rs have the support and investment they need to drive meaningful change in child care policy and practice—because when we make child care strong, we make everyone stronger. 

On Tuesday, March 18 we hosted an informational webinar detailing ways to leverage the position statement; watch the recording here.