What is CACFP? 

Ensuring children’s health and safety in child care is the top concern for any child care program, and child care emergency preparedness is vital to meeting this need. One way providers can strengthen safety practices in a child care program is to have a written emergency plan. 

Child care providers run an evacuation drill with infants in 2019.

Families put a lot of trust in child care providers every day. Part of that trust is knowing that children will be safe and cared for in any situation, including during and after an emergency. Child care providers who plan ahead are better-prepared and will know what to do to respond to an emergency and keep the children in their care safe. By planning and preparing in advance, they are also able to recover faster after an emergency.  

You may have seen reports of potential violence across the country leading up to the Presidential inauguration on January 20. We have heard from child care providers concerned about their program safety, the safety of their families and staff, and whether they should remain open for the next several days. 

The new year is a great time to reassess and ramp up your child care program’s emergency preparedness plans. Ready.gov encourages families to Resolve to Be Ready and we would like to help child care programs be ready in 2021 as well.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published December 18, 2020 but has since been updated with updated information. For the most up-to-date information about states' vaccine plans, please visit this page. 

On December 11, 2020, the FDA granted emergency use authorization for one of several COVID-19 vaccines under development. Prior to this authorization, the federal government and state health departments have been planning for vaccine distribution, with prioritization based on the individual risk for COVID-19 exposure. While the federal government has provided guidance on prioritization in distribution, each state is tasked with making its own distribution plan for the state population. Child Care Aware^® of America (CCA0A) is reviewing each state’s plan to understand how they are prioritizing child care providers to receive the vaccine and to ensure providers are treated equitably as a first step in ensuring access. As plans continue to evolve, we will update this blog and monitor other factors that may impact access.