It’s been a decade since the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) was reauthorized, reframing federal support for child care as both a work support for families and an investment in healthy and safe child development and learning. Since then, Congress has committed additional funding to the child care system, including a hard-fought major boost of over $2 billion in 2018. And, amid a pandemic, Congress acknowledged the importance of child care and the work early childhood educators do by investing $50 billion total in the field in 2020 and 2021– with awe-inspiring results.  

CCR&Rs, state child care administrators, providers and advocates laid the groundwork for these successes and helped get it over the finish line with their hard work. 

We have a lot to celebrate – and proof that real progress is possible. Yet some big questions remain unanswered as a fundamentally broken business model continues to hold us back from achieving a high-quality child care system for every family who needs it. 

At our 2024 Symposium, we will confront the question: How do we capitalize on our wins and lessons learned and boldly tackle our field’s hardest challenges? 

Child Care Aware® of America invites child care resource and referral staff, state administrators and system-level leaders to attend our 2024 Symposium to grapple with this question.  

It’s in our hands. When we’re raising child care, we’re raising America.