Shaping the Future – Leadership, Policy, and Social Impact
Opening Fireside Chat
Layla Zaidane is the President & CEO of Future Caucus – an organization working directly with our nation’s leading young policymakers on both a federal and state level to bridge the partisan divide and lead a new era of collaborative governance. Susan Gale Perry, CEO of Child Care Aware® of America will lead a fireside chat with Ms. Zaidane exploring the intersection of policy, leadership, and social impact. Expect a dynamic conversation filled with insights, actionable takeaways, and a vision for a more inclusive and forward-thinking society.
Strengthening Child Care: Bold Paths to Progress for Children and Families
Fireside Chat
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) organizations play a crucial role in fostering effective, efficient, and sustainable child care systems that strengthen communities by supporting children, families, and the economy. In this session, we will delve into how the new Position Statement from Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) can enhance efforts to integrate the work of CCR&Rs into state systems. Learn how these efforts are essential for building the infrastructure necessary to improve child care access and quality, ultimately supporting the economic vitality of communities and ensuring long-term success for families and businesses alike. Join the conversation and explore how CCR&Rs can be a driving force in shaping more resilient, equitable child care systems.
The Backbone of the System: The Role of CCR&Rs as Critical Infrastructure
Featured Session
Child Care Resource & Referral (CCR&R) organizations are key to building strong, sustainable child care systems that support families, communities, and the economy. This session will explore how CCAoA’s new Position Statement can help integrate CCR&Rs into state systems, improve access and quality, and strengthen the infrastructure needed for long-term success. Join us to learn how CCR&Rs can drive more resilient and equitable child care solutions.
Navigating Regulatory Change: A Conversation
Plenary
Child care regulations play a pivotal role in ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of children in child care. In recent years, many states have embarked on significant reforms aimed at revising these regulations. This session will feature insights from CCR&R professionals and State Administrators in states that have been at the forefront of experiences with regulatory reform. Join us for a thoughtful discussion on the strategies that have proven successful in balancing the need for robust regulations with the flexibility required to support diverse child care settings. Learn about the challenges faced, the innovative solutions implemented, and how these efforts are shaping a more sustainable and equitable child care system.
Iowa's Innovation with Iowa Child Care Connect
Featured Session
Child care consumer education and referral are a crucial part of CCR&R core service provision, yet our technology tools and approach have not always kept up with how families and the public access information and data. Iowa embarked on an innovative and collaborative 4-year project to develop Iowa’s Child Care Connect (C3). C3 is not only an innovative solution for families seeking access to child care but does so in a way that uses multiple data sets to inform on near real-time access and availability of child care for Iowa’s families. These data sets include the use of Child Care Management Systems (CCMS’) as well as the Child Care Resource and Referral NDS 2.0. In this session you will hear about the work that it took to create C3, and to hear about the incredible impact it has had on the state’s child care system.
Investing in the Future: How Philanthropy is Championing Child Care in a Shifting Landscape
Featured Session
In a time of increasing pressure on federal social investments and shifting policy priorities, many health and human service and advocacy organizations are turning to philanthropy to help sustain momentum and drive progress. Explore how philanthropic leaders are establishing priorities in today's complex social and political climate and learn practical strategies for cultivating strong, reciprocal relationships with the philanthropic community—as partners, champions, and investors in change.
Economics and Child Care—Where are we and where do we go from here?
Featured Session
Twenty of the nation’s leading experts on economics and child care gathered in Omaha, Nebraska, in October 2024, to discuss the state of child care in the United States and make recommendations on how to use what we have learned to improve. The conversation was framed around five unanswered questions that are barriers to moving forward in building a comprehensive system that truly meets the needs of those who depend on it: families, businesses, providers, and, most of all, the children who receive care. During this session, panelists will delve into the insights from this Roundtable conversation and attendees will learn more about forthcoming work from the participants.