Never before has America been more child care aware. Together, we can make it child care strong.
In 2022, after an extensive engagement process with our team, Board, partners, and members, Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) released its 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. The three-year plan laid out four ambitious priorities: 1) Demanding Quality; 2) Building Systems; 3) Transforming the Field; and 4) Strengthening Our Organization.
Much has changed since we completed the plan. Americans are experiencing a child care crisis as historic federal stabilization investments ended causing classrooms and programs to close. Our priorities remain the same; our tactics must stay nimble to reflect the moment. This refresh charts how CCAoA will make a significant, measurable impact, in today’s context, toward our goal that every family in America has equitable access to a high-quality, affordable child care system. Furthermore, we seek to underscore our commitment to equity by both recognizing it is part of every priority and including intentional actions that focus explicitly on equity.
Strategic Initiatives
Over the last few months, CCAoA refreshed the 2023-2025 strategic plan, which still includes four strategic priorities:
- Strategic Initiative 1 – Demanding Quality
- CCAoA will advance policies that demand quality child care for all.
- Strategic Initiative 2 – Building Systems
- CCAoA will influence and architect the national infrastructure that delivers quality, affordable child care.
- Strategic Initiative 3 – Transforming the Field
- CCAoA will deliver innovative thought leadership that transforms the field of child care.
- Strategic Initiative 4 – Strengthening our Organization
- CCAoA will strengthen human capital and organizational excellence.
Strategic Planning Resources
Parent Listening Team Report
To ensure our focus on parent voice, CCAoA convened a Parent Listening Team. These parent leaders represented the diverse spectrum of families across the nation while prioritizing the voices of those that faced the greatest personal barriers to accessing affordable, quality child care in their communities. They surveyed and interviewed over 500 parents/caregivers, focusing on this question: “What are the greatest barriers to quality child care for those who have been historically marginalized and systematically denied access to it?” As a result of their work, the team provided a recommendations report that will be central to our push for quality child care in the years to come. In addition, the team will continue to offer their input over the course of the plan.
The best way to get a sense of the dedication of the Parent Listening Team and what the work they did meant to them is to listen to them describe the process in their own words.
Annual Reports
