No Child Care. No Recovery. - Story Hub - Child Care Aware® of America

The child care system is reeling in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. It was a broken system before COVID-19—and now it’s more fragmented than ever. Without an estimated $50 billion stimulus needed from the government, there may not be much of a child care sector to come back to. That’s why we’re sharing stories from real families and child care providers impacted by COVID-19.

Please help us share these stories on social media using #NoChildCareNoRecovery. If you’ve been personally impacted by coronavirus as a child care provider or as a family with children who are typically in care, please share your story with us. These stories are powerful tools that we share with the media and Members of Congress to bring awareness to this crisis.

StoryCorps: Brittany and Pamela

Brittany, a teacher, talks with her friend Pamela about her experiences of her son in child care when Brittany was a young student, and again now during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a StoryCorps project and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with Child Care Aware^® of America.

StoryCorps: Daniel and Carolina

Daniel and Carolina are spouses who run a child care center. This is a StoryCorps project and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with Child Care Aware^® of America.

StoryCorps: Jennie and Jennifer

Jennie and Jennifer are child care providers. They reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on child care programs, and the lack of options for families with programs closing. This is a StoryCorps project and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with Child Care Aware^® of America.

StoryCorps: Jerletha and Valora

Jerletha, a child care provider, talks with her mentor, Valora. They discuss the role of women of color working in the early childhood education field, and the importance of society needing to prioritize and invest in early care and education. This is a StoryCorps project and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in partnership with Child Care Aware^® of America.

"We Need Help" - Message from Child Care Provider, Flora Gee

“We can only operate with a negative cash flow for so long,” says child care provider, Flora Gee. “We need help. We need some funding from Congress.”

Coronavirus and Child Care | Indianapolis, Indiana

Pamela Steele’s family child care program has had to shift their health policies to keep children safe during the pandemic. They also now provide care for school-age children who are doing virtual instruction.

Coronavirus and Child Care | The Aronoff Family | Corvallis, Oregon

When Kate Aronoff’s child care center closed due to COVID-19, she enrolled her two young children in another program in the area. Sadly, only a couple weeks after that, that program closed permanently as well.

Update from Clinton, Mississippi | Coronavirus and Child Care

“Financially, our situation is definitely not any better…Everything that we do now costs us more,” shares Lesia Daniel Hollingshead in an update from when we first interviewed her in June. “We may not make it.”

Coronavirus and Child Care | Newark, Ohio

Shaun Linton is the director of My Place Child Care and School Age Center in Newark, Ohio. Shaun said that many people have told him that he’s lucky to be open, but more than three months into the pandemic, his program still only sees about 25% of their enrolled students on a daily basis and faces losing $10,000-15,000 each month.

Coronavirus and Child Care | Corvallis, Oregon

Jennie Dalgas was the owner and director of Wonders Early Learning Center in Corvallis, Oregon. Within a few weeks of COVID-19 hitting, Jennie made the difficult decision to close her program permanently.

Coronavirus and Child Care | Clinton, Mississippi

Lesia Daniel Hollingshead describes what it was like to go from an enrollment of 360 children to 56 children as the COVID-19 pandemic hit her region.

No Child Care, No Recovery

The child care system was broken before the coronavirus hit. Now, it’s broken more than ever.

Our explainer video details the impact of the child care system and why we need $50 billion from Congress to save the industry.

Coronavirus and Child Care | Miami, Florida

Hear from Jacqueline Moreno of REM Early Learning Center in Miami, Florida as she explains how COVID-19 has financially hit her child care program.

Coronavirus and Child Care | Baltimore, Maryland

Learn how Celeste Joyner has had to change the policies of her child care program in order to protect her family during the pandemic.

Share Your Own Story

Use our tool below to submit your own video about how COVID-19 has impacted your child care program. Stories may be shared on our website, social media or with policymakers to help enact change. Let us know your name, organization, state and how you’ve been affected by the crisis.

No Child Care. No Recovery. – Story Hub