What It Will Take to Transform Child Care in 2021

By Lynette Fraga, Ph.D. on January 05, 2021

At Child Care Aware® of America, we have seen child care become front page news. We have spoken with families, like the Aronoffs, struggling to access child care as providers close their doors. We have listened to providers, like Shaun Linton in Newark, Ohio, whose center has taken extraordinary measures to continue operating safely, despite a reduction in income.     

What we have heard and continue to hear from providers and families is their demands for change. The time is ripe for us to make even bigger strides than previously imagined to achieve a more equitable, affordable and high-quality child care system. As we launch into the new year, I am excited to share with you how we plan to accomplish this.  

Topics: Systems Building, Policy & Advocacy

Continue Reading

Employer Child Care Assistance Now and Looking Ahead

By Guest Blogger on December 22, 2020

Child care is not only crucial for the development of young children, but also essential for the millions of working parents with young children. Parents rely on child care to help them enter, re-enter or remain in the workforce, but access to affordable, quality child care is often a significant barrier for many. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, families are experiencing additional challenges in finding, maintaining and affording child care that meets their needs.

Topics: Systems Building, Workforce, Parenting

Continue Reading

New Papers Present Bold Ideas for Re-Envisioning the Child Care System

By Ami Gadhia on December 10, 2020

As we take stock of this year-like-no-other, Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) sees a glimmer of hope in all of the destruction and reflection wrought by COVID-19 and yet another racial reckoning for our nation. This glimmer of hope is the chance to completely rebuild our child care system. Today, CCAoA releases bold new ideas to help policymakers, advocates, parents, providers and employers create an equitable, transformed child care system in 2021 and beyond. 

Topics: Systems Building, Policy & Advocacy

Continue Reading

Child Care Aware® of America's Child Care Licensing Benchmark Project

By Laurie Rackas on November 19, 2020

We know that high-quality early learning environments fuel the success of children and have positive social, economic and health impacts that last into adulthood.[1]

States can strongly influence whether their child care systems are quality-driven or not, especially in the areas of health and safety. That’s because quality can be achieved, in part, through strong state licensing regulations.

Topics: Business Operations for CCR&Rs, Systems Building, Professional Development, Coronavirus

Continue Reading

A Better Way to Care for Young Children and Older Adults

By CCAoA on October 06, 2020

 

By Donna Butts and Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D.  
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential role of caregivers, those who care for us when we are young and old, and given us an opportunity to reimagine care from a lifespan perspective. This will be particularly important after the pandemic permanently closes an estimated 30-50% of child care providers nationwide and the high death toll causes us to reimagine elder care homes. 

Topics: Systems Building, Workforce, Family & Community Engagement, Parenting

Continue Reading

Parents & Employers Pay the Price: COVID-19 Erodes Child Care Systems

By Kim Engelman on August 18, 2020

The COVID-19 public health crisis is heightening awareness of child care as a core foundational need for both working parents and employers. Under typical circumstances, parents need accessible, safe and affordable child care so they can work. Employers also need quality child care options for their employees for their business to work. This year (2020) has been anything but typical. The COVID-19-induced erosion of an already broken child care system is having critical impacts on both parents with young children and their employers.

Topics: Systems Building, Workforce, Parenting, Coronavirus

Continue Reading