Arlington, VA—Today, Child Care Aware of America® released its groundbreaking new position statement: Making States and Communities Child Care Strong: The Role of Child Care Resource & Referral Organizations designed to elevate the critical role of child care resource and referral organizations (CCR&Rs) by clarifying the essential services they provide, defining what effective CCR&Rs look like, and offering actionable strategies for policymakers, administrators, business leaders, and CCR&Rs themselves to work together to strengthen child care systems nationwide.
America has a fragmented child care system that holds us back and hurts everyone—children, families, child care providers, communities, employers, and our military. Every family needs access to high-quality, affordable child care so they can work and provide for their families and that every child in child care is healthy, safe, nurtured, and learning. To achieve that goal, states and communities need a child care infrastructure that supports families, child care providers, and business and civic leaders in turning a patchwork of resources into a system that helps families work, supports children’s healthy development and learning, and keeps our economy growing.
“This position statement is a tool for anyone who wants to make child care work better for families, businesses, child care professionals, and states and communities,” said Susan Gale Perry, Chief Executive Officer of CCAoA. “For too long, we have talked about America’s broken child care system. It’s time for solutions. CCR&Rs are the glue that puts the pieces together. When we invest in effective CCR&Rs, we make child care stronger.”
As the demand for affordable high-quality child care continues to grow, CCR&Rs are essential in ensuring that providers and families have the resources they need to thrive. 90% of CCR&Rs offer families help in finding and paying for child care, 92% help build the supply and quality of child care, and two-thirds work to improve child care access, affordability and quality through advocacy.
The position statement is a tool for anyone invested in building a stronger, more sustainable child care system. Together with an on-the-ground network of people doing the work in states and communities—including CCR&Rs—CCAoA helps America become child care strong.
Data in this press release are taken from CCAoA’s latest report From Patchwork to Progress: How CCR&Rs Unite Child Care Resources. Sign up for our newsletter to be notified of upcoming CCAoA resources releases and events.
Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is the only national organization that supports every part of the child care system. Together with an on-the-ground network of people doing the work in states and communities, we help America become child care strong by providing research that drives effective practice and policy, building strong child care programs and professionals, helping families find and afford quality child care, delivering thought leadership to the military and direct service to its families, and providing a real-world understanding of what works and what doesn’t to spur policymakers into action and help them build solutions. Everyone is stronger when we make America child care strong.
