Year after year, CCAoA’s annual research report has found that the price of child care is too high for too many families. The good news is that change may be coming. Earlier this year, President Biden proposed big investments in child care and preschool. This month, Congress has put pen to paper and crafted legislation, called the Build Back Better Act, to make those investments a reality.

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 (CCAoA) 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. 

Since the CARES Act was enacted in April 2020, two additional federal relief packages have been passed by Congress that include significant increases in emergency funding for child care: the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. These funds began to flow to states during the spring with the intention to get funds out the door and provide relief to providers and families as quickly as possible. While we are still a year away from the first deadlines for states to obligate some funds, it’s important for advocates to monitor state progress to ensure funds are distributed efficiently and equitably. So far, state progress has varied greatly. 

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 (CCAoA) 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. 

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 past year showed just how essential child care is to the country and our economy. As the world reopens and parents return to work, policymakers are realizing that it is not sufficient to restore the child care sector to where it was prior to the pandemic.