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. 

Happy New Year! It's finally 2020, Census year. You've been preparing and now it's here.  While the Census will occur throughout the year, in some parts of the country the count will begin as early as this month.  

New research shows that much work needs to be done to help families understand the importance of participating in the Census. Child care providers and Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) can play an important role sharing these messages. 

Congress and the White House have officially approved federal funding for the remainder of FY2020, reaching a bipartisan agreement that provides more than $1 billion in increased funding for federal early childhood programs, including:

In response to today’s White House Summit on Child Care and Paid Leave, Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) Executive Director Dr. Lynette M. Fraga released the following statement:

Child Care Aware^® of America has responded to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services and their notice for a request for information (RFI) on “Improving Access to Affordable, High Quality Child Care.”