Child Care Aware^® of America is pleased to announce the call for nominations for its 2022 Board of Directors. 

With the nation’s attention now on the needs of the child care system, we have a “moment in a movement” to build a better, more equitable system – one that works for and supports children, families, child care providers and communities. You can contribute to this critical mission by nominating yourself or others to be considered for a Board seat with CCAoA. 

Have you experienced difficulty recruiting experienced, qualified staff? You are not alone. Child care professionals across the country have expressed a need for talented candidates to fill open positions within child care centers, homes and Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs).  

Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) is excited to announce a new tool to strengthen the child care system workforce — the Child Care Career Center. The Child Care Career Center connects employers to professionals in all parts of the child care system and career stages. We proud that our job board houses job postings in every aspect of the child care system. 

Family child care providers work hard to maintain their businesses. Aside from caring for children, they also must track billing and attendance, maintain the cleanliness of their facilities, market their businesses, find supplies, seek out professional development opportunities and much more. Providers – particularly in home-based settings – often perform these additional tasks outside of the normal hours of operation, sacrificing precious personal and family time.

Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) recently joined over 300 local, state and national organizations in support of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2021 would:

• Incrementally raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025 and
• After 2025, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep with growth in the median wage.

In September 2020, Child Care Aware^® of America (CCAoA) released a report entitled Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post COVID-19. We compared child care supply data pre-COVID-19 (December 2019) to supply during COVID-19 (July 2020). Unsurprisingly, we found that the supply of licensed child care declined dramatically after the pandemic began. When compared to December 2019, 35% of child care centers remained closed, along with 21% of family child care (FCC) providers in July 2020.