It’s official: beginning March 12, households nationwide will begin receiving invitations to participate in the 2020 Decennial Census. With the count now underway in all 50 states, find out what you can do to help ensure children age 4 and under are properly counted in this month’s edition of our Census Series:  

It happens every other year. Child Care Aware^® of America hosts a Symposium that brings together individuals from across the country to discuss the latest research, policy and practices related to the early child care and education community.  This year’s 4-day event offers participants opportunities to hear from and connect with thought leaders, Congressional staff and other early education professionals.

Even though the 2020 Census already began in some parts of the country, we are one month away from  households nationwide receiving official Census Bureau invitations to participate. To help ensure that children age four and under are properly counted, we've compiled news updates from the month of February and the latest resources that will help you prepare: 

In response to the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) Executive Director Dr. Lynette M. Fraga released the following statement:

 “The President’s FY 2021 Budget falls well short of meeting families’ needs. The proposal lacks the robust, long-term investment the child care system needs to ensure our children thrive. In addition, the very same families who struggle to access child care, are hit hard by the proposed Budget’s plans to cut or weaken the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and other critical safety net programs.

Update Feb. 6 - On Jan. 30, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that the new public charge rule will be effective as of Feb. 24, 2020, everywhere in the U.S. except Illinois, where a statewide preliminary injunction remains in place. This means that any green card applications that are postmarked or submitted electronically as of Feb. 24 will be subject to the new, broader public charge test. The DHS final rule only applies to immigrants who are applying for lawful permanent residency within the United States or who wish to apply in the future.

On Thursday, February 6, the Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and Labor will hold a hearing on "Solving America’s Child Care Crisis: Supporting Parents, Children, and the Economy." Members of the Subcommittee will hear from four expert witnesses on the child care crisis, including a parent and a child care provider.