Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) will lead Provider Appreciation Day® on May 7 to recognize and celebrate the efforts of child care providers across the country in what has been a year of tremendous challenge for child care. 

“Child care providers were ‘essential’ long before the pandemic, and the past year has highlighted the lengths to which they are willing to go to keep their doors open, keep children safe and nurtured, support and engage families, and play a critical role in communities,” said Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America. “Provider Appreciation Day® is a great opportunity to recognize the heroic efforts of providers and to say ‘thank you.’” 

Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America, released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden's American Families Plan: 

“With the announcement of the American Families Plan and its robust investment in child care and early learning, President Biden is charting a course forward for us to build the society and economy that we want for the future, a future that values children and their healthy and safe development, and values families and their caregiving needs.  

Child Care Aware of America is pleased to see a total investment of $425 billion for child care and early learning. This, and more, is needed to build the child care system into one that works for families, educators and communities. It is critical that as we invest in child care and early learning, we support and expand care provided to both infants and toddlers and to 3- and 4- year olds through universal pre-K in a mixed delivery system that ensures families can choose the best options for their children. It is also critical that we invest money toward our child care workforce, something the American Families Plan prioritizes.  

The American Families Plan also supports families and communities beyond their needs for child care by creating a national, comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, extending the expansion of the child tax credit and earned income tax credit, and making higher education more affordable. 

Mario Cardona, Child Care Aware® of America’s Chief of Policy and Practice, released the following statement in response to the reintroduction of the Child Care for Working Families Act: 

"The Child Care for Working Families Act would make progress toward solving some of the most critical challenges facing the child care system today, and Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) is pleased to support the bill as it is reintroduced. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA) are true champions for our children, families, providers and communities across the country. 

Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) and the <wit> project are collaborating on a four-month project to improve CCAoA's ability to quickly add content and resources to its website. The <wit> project team consists of six women science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students from the City University of New York (CUNY) who are working in partnership with CCAoA IT staff. This is the first experience for many of the students in working hands-on with code that has an end user.  

The <wit> project supports women from underrepresented communities to succeed in tech careers, provides hands-on learning experiences to STEM students, and helps nonprofits access technology solutions.   

Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America, released the following statement in response to President Joe Biden's American Jobs Plan: 

“We agree with President Biden that investment in the facilities and the supply of the child care system is needed as we work to build back from the pandemic. Our economy requires the infrastructure of a sustainable, equitable, high-quality child care and early learning system in which children, families, and educators thrive. 

The $25 billion Child Care Growth and Innovation Fund and the $45 billion for grants to reduce lead exposure in homes, schools, and child care facilities, are an investment in the safe and healthy development of children and in our child care system. Investing in a stronger child care system today helps build the foundation children need to thrive in the future. 

We mourn the recent acts of violence in Atlanta and reaffirm our solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) colleagues, family members, friends and community members, and we condemn the violence and racism directed at them. 
 
We realize that the murders perpetrated in Atlanta are the latest in a long history of violence and discrimination against the AAPI community. Discrimination, prejudice and racism have no place in our country or our child care system – which relies on the work of women, particularly women of color and women from immigrant communities. We are committed to reversing the structural and institutional racism, poverty and lack of opportunity that exist in the United States.  

Equity and anti-racism will continue to be at the center of our work to support all children and families.   

Additional Resources: 

Whether children have witnessed a violent event, or have seen coverage of events in the news, it is important for parents and caregivers to be ready to help and talk about their feelings. Visit our page for resources to help children understand and cope after facing traumatic events, including a white paper that outlines what stress may look like in children younger than five years old (also available in Spanish).

You may also be interested in our three-part webinar series on racial justice and equity in the child care system  in which we discuss how we can create an equitable system that supports providers, children and families. 

Today, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package with $39 billion in child care relief funding. The $39 billion in dedicated child care funding provides $15 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and $24 billion for a child care stabilization fund. 

Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America, released the following statement in response to President-elect Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan:

“President-elect Biden’s bold plan to rescue our communities and help us fight COVID-19 is sorely needed. On the heels of dispiriting news about the growing spread of the virus and the disparate impact of the pandemic on the employment and labor force participation of women of color, we need action.

Child care is a critical part of our response to the pandemic and broader economic recovery. Child Care Aware® of America is grateful to see the President-elect’s proposal to invest $40 billion in the child care system. In conjunction with his plan’s commitment to bolster wages, provide paid leave and health care, address housing and nutrition insecurity, and pull children out of poverty – all issues that families and workers in the child care system struggle with – this rescue package would have a tremendous impact on communities across the country.

We stand ready to work with Congress and the incoming Administration on this plan and urge them to act quickly.”

Today, President-elect Joe Biden announced the nomination of Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education. Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America—the nation’s leading voice for child care—released the following statement: 

Child Care Aware® of America is pleased to see Connecticut Commissioner of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona nominated to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education. Cardona has demonstrated a commitment to advancing an agenda that supports children from birth and even served as co-chairperson of the Connecticut Birth to Grade Three Leaders Council, according to his state biography. We couldn’t agree more with Cardona’s statement that, “For far too long, we’ve spent money on interventions and band aids to address disparities instead of laying a wide, strong foundation of quality, universal early childhood education, and quality social and emotional supports for all of our learners.” CCAoA looks forward to more closely examining his record and urge the Senate to quickly consider his nomination. 

This week, Congress officially approved both federal funding for the remainder of FY2021 and COVID-19 relief, providing support to child care and other early learning programs.  

Funding for FY21 included:  

• $5.911 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) – an $85 million increase from FY 2020; and  
• $10.748 billion for Head Start/Early Head Start – a $135 million increase from FY2020.  

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 combined full-year funding with relief in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The relief funding included $10 billion dedicated to child care, $250 million in support for Head Start, $284 billion in loans for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program, $166 billion in direct payment checks, and an extension of unemployment benefits.  

In response, Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., CEO of Child Care Aware® of America—the nation’s leading voice for child care—released the following statement: 

We are grateful that child care was one of the industries to receive targeted COVID-19 relief in the package. This critical funding will help providers address the financial burdens associated with increased operating costs and decreased enrollment during the pandemic. However, $10 billion is far from what the child care system needs to survive the pandemic. This will only provide short-term relief on the long road to recovery for child care.