Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) is excited to announce a new tool to strengthen the child care system workforce — the Child Care Career Center. The Child Care Career Center connects employers to professionals in all parts of the child care system and career stages. We proud that our job board houses job postings in every aspect of the child care system. 

The child care field is experiencing a historic moment. After years of being chronically underfunded, the child care sector has received over $50 billion in dedicated funding from the federal government, thanks to the passage of three COVID-19 relief packages. It is the largest public investment in child care in our nation’s history and gives states a crucial opportunity to implement policies that will have long-lasting impacts to stabilize and transform the industry.  With the recent receipt of significant federal dollars, states are searching for effective and sustainable uses for these funds that have the power to transform the future of child care. The good news is that there are already success stories from policies implemented in the last year that states can learn from and replicate.

StoryCorps, a national nonprofit whose mission is to record, preserve and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds, and Child Care Aware^® of America recently partnered on a project to interview child care providers. The providers were asked about their personal journey in the child care field and the impact of COVID-19 on their work and life. 

The Office of Child Care (OCC) has released guidance on the $24 billion Child Care Stabilization grants made available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. The purpose of the guidance is to help states quickly distribute the stabilizations funds to protect and support the existing child care market. As the guidance emphasizes, this funding represents an important opportunity for states to stabilize and rebuild a stronger child care system that meets the diverse needs of all children and families, and of the child care workforce.  

When matched with children’s interests, summer camps with safe, healthy environments and practices can be fun places for children to learn and grow. Whether they’re day camps or sleepaways, summer camps can support children’s learning and development. Camps can also serve as safe places for children to be while their parents are at work.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the child care system in the United States was already fragile and underfunded. The U.S. spends less than 0.5% of GDP on child care, which is far lower than the majority of developed countries.

In addition, children of color and children from low-income families are less likely to be enrolled in high-quality child care programs. Child care staff are undervalued and underpaid, and female caregivers, especially women of color, bear the brunt of formal and informal care.