WASHINGTON, DC — On the heels of the Trump Administration's decision to allow states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, many of whom are children, Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA), executive director Dr. Lynette M. Fraga released the following statement:

Raising a child with disabilities can be rewarding in unexpected ways. There’s the pride of seeing your child master a new skill, often after a struggle that typically developing children never know. Naturally, there are challenges involved in caring for a child with special needs, especially if the child’s physical or developmental disability is severe. Parents often say they long for a break from the 24/7 demands of caretaking.

Earlier today, the House of Representatives approved the Senate-passed tax reform legislation which will overhaul the tax code for the first time since the mid-1980s. President Trump is expected to sign this bill into law soon.

Child Care Aware® of America was proud to be a Gold Sponsor of the recent 2017 ZERO TO THREE conference. The event brought over 3,000 early childhood professionals to San Diego, CA November 29-December 1 for three days of learning, networking, and socializing.

The 32^nd annual National Child Nutrition Conference is scheduled for April 19-21, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Hosted by the National CACFP Sponsors Association, this conference brings together professionals in the child nutrition community for three days of learning and networking. Over 1,000 participants from nutrition, nonprofit, education, and child care organizations in all 50 states are expected to attend this year. In addition to expert panels and networking sessions, attendees can choose from more than 100 workshops to learn practical skills, discover new resources, and explore their interests. To help ensure that everyone who is interested and invested can attend, the National Child Nutrition Foundation has over $20,000 in scholarships available.

That’s the bottom line from CCAoA’s just-published report on Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2017. Our signature annual report is now in its eleventh year and this year, as in previous years, child care represents one of the most significant expenses in parents’ budgets. In all regions of the country, families average child care fees for an infant in a child care center are more than the average amount that families spend on food and transportation combined. And the average annual cost for an infant in center-based care was higher than a year’s tuition and fees at a four-year public college in 28 states and the District of Columbia!