Strong Leaders, Strong Child Care: A Reflection on Leadership Institute 2024

This year’s Leadership Institute—Strong Leaders, Strong Child Care—was all about putting a firm stake in the ground on the essential role child care resource and referral leaders play in creating strong child care. Attendees did not disappoint! They came full of energy, ready to ask the hard questions, and fired up to be bold and loud.  

One theme that emerged over the two days is that it’s up to us claim our space. Our field is uniquely positioned to fix America’s broken and inequitable child care system so that all families have access to affordable, quality child care that makes children, child care professionals, employers, the military, and our nation stronger. It’s time we own it. 

That sentiment came across loud and clear in our plenary session, A New Framework to Drive Our Collective Impact. Child care resource and referral can no longer be America’s best kept secret. Our power comes in clearly articulating the value of what we do in a manner that people can understand and that reflects what they care about. Our work is built on the brand promise that everyone is stronger when we make America child care strong. Here’s how CCAoA will be framing who we are at the national level: 

Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is the only national organization that supports every part of the child care system. Together with an on-the-ground network of child care resource organizations working in states and communities, CCAoA provides research that drives effective practice and policy, builds strong child care programs and professionals, helps families find and afford quality child care, delivers expertise and partnership to the military and direct service to its families, works with employers on child care solutions, and provides a real-world understanding of what works and what doesn’t to spur policymakers into action and help them build solutions. Together we can make America child care strong—and that makes everyone stronger.

We didn’t stop there. In addition to articulating our value, we are working together to create a shared definition of what our field does and why it matters. Attendees strategized about our new draft position statement—developed with our members and leaders across the country—at the plenary session, Unified Voices, Stronger Impact: Who are We and Where are We Going?  

Every community needs well-resourced, comprehensive and integrated child care resource and referral services that build the supply and quality of child care, grow the child care workforce, help families and business solve their child care challenges, and deliver on-the-ground information and solutions to advance high-quality, equitable child care. CCAoA further asserts that the work of community-based CCR&Rs must be supported by adequately funded state networks that serve and value every community. 

The conversation was robust, and attendees appreciated that the draft statement includes recommendations for policymakers and elected officials, state child care administrators, business and community/state leaders, and organizations delivering child care resource and referral services. We are now collecting comments from our members and look forward to launching a final position statement in early spring of 2025. I’m excited to collaborate with our network about how we can use this statement to position our field for success. Sign up for one of our Lunch and Learns today: 

November 6th – 11:30 a.m. EST – Register Here.   

November 7th – 3:30 p.m. EST – Register Here.  

November 12th – 3:30 p.m. EST – Register Here.  

November 13th – 11:30 a.m. - EST – Register Here. 

There was so much rich content to delve into throughout the two days. We talked about getting child care on the economic development agenda and into community projects and investments, learned how to improve child health through partnerships with local health departments, heard about making the most of the post-election environment to move child care policy, and much more.  

I am grateful to our amazing sponsors who help make these convenings possible, our incredible staff who do the hard work to make it a reality, and to our longtime and new allies, mentors, and friends who brought it to life. It’s clear to me that our leaders are indeed strong and ready to make child care strong. 

Register Today!