December 19, 2016

 

Dear President- Elect Trump:

The Child Care and Early Learning Coalition welcomes your recognition of the importance of affordable, high-quality child care. Child care is critical to our nation’s children, women, and families, to the professionals who care for and teach our young children, and to our economic growth and prosperity. The Coalition urges your Administration to move forward with substantial investments in high-quality child care, which will help parents work, boost the well-being of children, and make our economy stronger.

The signatories below support strategies that give low- and middle-income families financial help in affording high-quality child care so parents can succeed at work; that reflect families’ preferences and needs for child care; that fund salaries needed to attract and retain well-qualified child care professionals; and that give children the early learning experiences they need to succeed in school and in life and to become productive members of the future workforce.

We hope to work with your Administration in its first 100 days to help hard-working families succeed through significant new investments in child care. We encourage you to make an initial investment in child care because it would shore up our nation’s infrastructure. Child care is a vital part of our national infrastructure that is central to working families, communities, and the current and future economic success of our country. When we invest in building the best roads and bridges, we need to make sure that the workers building those roads and bridges have the best child care for their children. Simply put, parents cannot work if they do not have child care. As you have noted, today’s workforce includes 73.5 million women, which represents 47 percent of the entire U.S. labor force. About 25.5 million of these women in the labor force have children under age 18, including over 10 million who have children under age six. These women need to work to help support their families, but the high cost of child care often makes this impossible.

The most effective, efficient way to invest in child care would be through a substantial increase in funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), our major federal child care program. The program, which provides vouchers directly to working families to help them afford the child care of their choice, is serving just one out of six children eligible for help, and the number of children receiving assistance has been steadily declining over the past several years due to insufficient federal funding. In 2014, Congress reauthorized the program—with broad bipartisan support—to protect the health and safety of children in child care and remove bureaucratic hurdles to families’ getting and keeping child care assistance. By investing in this program, you can immediately provide greater opportunity to more low- and middle-income parents and help them get to work building highways, bridges, airports, and other projects.

Increased funding should also be used to expand the supply of child care. Child care employs millions of individuals in small and large businesses. Infrastructure funds should be used to upgrade and expand existing child care centers, build new child care centers, and cover start-up costs for small family child care businesses. The funding should be used to improve the quality of child care jobs as well—these jobs currently pay, on average, less than $11 an hour. When child care professionals are well-paid and have good working conditions, child care is more likely to be high-quality and provide a safer and more enriching setting for children so they can thrive.

Investments in child care should be targeted at those families who have been struggling the most in this economy. We need to make sure that these families are no longer overlooked and that they get the affordable, stable, high-quality child care they need to get and keep a job and their children need to encourage their learning and growth.

We look forward to working with you and  with Congress to  make these  investments, that would benefit our children, our families, and our country.

Sincerely,

NATIONAL ORGANZATIONS
African & African American Studies Community Committee
Afterschool Alliance
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Academy of Pediatrics
Child Care Aware of America
Child Care Law Center
Child Welfare League of America
Children’s Defense Fund
Children’s Investment Fund
Children’s Advocacy Institute
CLASP
Coalition on Human Needs
Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Inc.
Common Sense Kids Action
Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children
Early Care and Education Consortium
Easterseals
Every Child Matters
Fair Share
First Five Years Fund
First Focus Campaign for Children
Generations United
IDEA Infant Toddler Coordinators Association
IFF
Jumpstart
Learning Disabilities Association of America
Leviticus Fund
LISC
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Low Income Investment Fund
MomsRising
NAACP Education Committee
National Association for Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education
National Association for Family Child Care
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Black Child Development Institute
National Children’s Facilities Network
National Children’s Facilities Network
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza
National Indian Child Care Association
National Women’s Law Center
Nemours Children’s Health System
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Nurses for Daycare LLC
Office of Child Health Policy & Advocacy
Parents as Teachers
Partnership for America’s Children
Peace Educators Allied for Children Everywhere
RESULTS: The Power to End Poverty
Save the Children
Save the Children Action Network
Self-Help
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center
Teaching Strategies
Teachstone® Training, LLC
United Way Worldwide
Voices for Progress
YWCA USA
ZERO TO THREE

ALABAMA
Alabama Family Child Care Association
Central Alabama Child Care Association
Childcare Educators of Northeast Alabama
Children and Families of Alabama Association
Covington County Home Child Care Association
Cullman County Home Child Care Association
Family Child Care Education Association
Gulf Regional Child Care Awareness Alliance
Jackson County Home Child Care Association
Lauderdale County Home Child Care Association
Lee County Home Providers Association
Madison County Home Child Care Association
Morgan County Home Child Care
Pike County Home Childcare Association
Shelby County Home Child Care Association
South Alabama Family Child Care Organization
Talla Coosa Providers Association
Tuscaloosa County Home Child Care Association
VOICES for Alabama’s Children
Wire Grass Home Providers Association

ALASKA
Alaska Children’s Trust
Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children
thread, Child Care Resource and Referral Network

ARIZONA
Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children
Arizona Fair Share
Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
Arkansas Family Child Care Association

CALIFORNIA
BANANAS, Inc. Child Care Resource & Referral
Black Child Development Institute, Sacramento
California Alternative Payment Program Association
California Alternative Payment Program Association Children’s Foundation
California Association for the Education of Young Children
California Child Care Resource & Referral Network
California Child Development Administrators Association
California Fair Share
CAPPA Children’s Foundation
Child Care Law Center
Children Now
Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County
Choices for Children
Common Sense Kids Action
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. (CAPSLO)
Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of Alameda County
Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of San Mateo County
Community Child Care Council (4Cs) of Sonoma County
Crystal Stairs, Inc.
Del Norte Child Care Council
Early Edge California
Family Resource and Referral Center
First 5 Association of California
First 5 California
First 5 LA
Go Kids, Inc.
Los Angeles Universal Preschool
Northern Directors Group
Options for Learning
Parent Voices CA
Sierra Nevada Children’s Services
Solano Family & Children’s Services
Wu Yee Children’s Services

COLORADO
Black Child Development Institute, Denver
Clayton Early Learning
Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children
Colorado Children’s Campaign
Colorado Fair Share
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition

CONNECTICUT
All Our Kin
Bloomfield Early Learning Center
Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut
Coalition for New Britain’s Youth
Connecticut Association for Human Services
Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children
Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance
Connecticut Voices for Children
CSEA/SEIU Local 2001
Early Childhood Collaborative of Southington Connecticut
Jeffrey Daniels Consulting
Naugatuck Partnership for Children
Southington Daycare Providers Association Connecticut
The Diaper Bank
Town of Enfield Child Development Center

DELAWARE
Delaware Association for the Education for Young Children
KIDS COUNT in Delaware

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
RESULTS DC: U.S. Poverty Chapter

FLORIDA
Black Child Development Institute, Ft. Lauderdale
Champions for Children, Inc.
Children’s Forum
Cornerstone Family Ministries
Florida Association for the Education of Young Children
Florida Family Child Care Home Association, Inc.
Florida Consumer Action Network
Lutheran Services Florida
GEORGIA
Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students
Voices for Georgia’s Children

HAWAII
Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children
Hawaii Children’s Action Network

IDAHO
Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children

ILLINOIS
Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children
Ounce of Prevention Fund
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
United Parent Leaders Action Network
Voices for Illinois Children

INDIANA
Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children
Marion County Commission On Youth, Inc.

IOWA
Child and Family Policy Center
First Children’s Finance
Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children
Iowa Family Child Care Association

KANSAS
Child Care Providers Coalition of Kansas
Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children

KENTUCKY
Community Coordinated Child Care, 4-C
Eastern Kentucky Child Care Coalition
Hazard Perry County Community Ministries
Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky’s Voice for Early Childhood

LOUISIANA
Bear-Y Cherry Tree of Jefferson
Childcare Association of Louisiana
Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Inc.
League of Women Voters of Louisiana
Louisiana Association of United Ways
Louisiana Early Childhood Association
Louisiana Partnership for Children & Families
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
National Council of Jewish Women, Greater New Orleans Section
United Way of Acadiana
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
MAINE
Every Child Matters in Maine
Family Child Care Association of Maine
Maine Association for the Education of Young Children
Maine Children’s Alliance
Maine Community Action Association
Maine Equal Justice Project
Maine Head Start Director’s Association
Maine Resilience Building Network
Maine Women’s Lobby
The Bingham Program
The Greater Portland Early Childhood Directors Group

MARYLAND
Advocates for Children and Youth
Anne Arundel County Family Child Association
Baltimore County Family Child Care Association
Charles County Family Day Care Association
Family Child Care Association of Montgomery County, Inc.
Family Day Care Association of Harford County
Howard County Family Child Care Association
Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children
Maryland Family Network
Maryland State Family Child Care Association, Inc.
Prince George’s Child Resource Center, Inc.
Queen Anne’s County Child Care Association

MASSACHUSETTS
Cape Cod Child Development Inc.
Early Education for All
ELLIS Memorial
Family Services of Central Massachusetts
Horizons for Homeless Children
Institute for Early Education Leadership and Innovation
Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children
Massachusetts Fair Share
Nurtury
Open Center for Children
Sommerville Public Schools
Square One
United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley

MICHIGAN
Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children
Michigan League for Public Policy
Michigan’s Children
United Way of the Lakeshore
MINNESOTA
Families First of Minnesota
Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children
Minnesota Child Care Association
Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association
Minnesota School-Age Alliance
New Horizon Academy
Ramsey County Family Child Care Association
Stearns Benton Child Care Association
Think Small

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative

MISSOURI
Missouri Association for the Education of Young Children

MONTANA
Butte 4-C’s – Community Coordinated Child Care
Child Care Connections
Child Care Resources, Inc.
Montana Child Care Resource and Referral Network
NEBRASKA
Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children
Voices for Children in Nebraska

NEVADA
Children’s Advocacy Alliance
Family to Family Connection
Foundation for Positively Kids
Immunize Nevada
Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children
Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy
Prevent Child Abuse Nevada

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Chapel School Preschool
Concord Family YMCA
Early Learning NH
Easter Seals New Hampshire, Inc.
Every Child Matters in New Hampshire
Great Bay Kids’ Company
Lakes Region Child Care Services
New Futures
New Hampshire Afterschool Network
New Hampshire Association for the Education of Young Children
New Hampshire Child Care Advisory Council
New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, Inc.
New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute
NH Hunger Solutions

NEW JERSEY
Advocates for Children of New Jersey
New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children
New Jersey Community Capital
New Jersey Family Child Care Providers Association
RESULTS Bernardsville

NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children
New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership
New Mexico Voices for Children
United Way of Santa Fe County

NEW YORK
A Better Balance: The Work & Family Legal Center
Advocates for Children of New York
Alliance for Early Childhood Finance
Center for Children’s Initiatives
Child Care Council of Rockland, Inc.
Child Care Solutions, Inc.
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Day Care Council of New York, Inc.
Early Care & Learning Council
Family Enrichment Network
Harlem Children’s Zone
Jawonio Inc.
National Council of Jewish Women, Peninsula Section
New York State Association for the Education of Young Children
Teacher Mommy Daycare, Inc.
The Children’s Agenda
The Early Childhood Alliance Onondaga in Syracuse, New York
The Empire Justice Center
The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.
Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation

NORTH CAROLINA
Child Care Services Association
NC Child
NC Institute for Child Development Professionals
North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children
North Carolina Child Care Coalition
North Carolina Early Childhood Association
North Carolina Early Childhood Foundation
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota Association for the Education of Young Children

OHIO
Action for Children
Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development
Groundwork Ohio
HAPPY Homes Ohio Association
Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children
Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association
The Ohio Association of Child Care Providers
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
Voices for Ohio’s Children

OKLAHOMA
Center for Community School Strategies
Child Care Resource Center of Tulsa
Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma
Family Health Coalition of Tulsa
JumpStart Tulsa
Sprouts Child Development Initiative

OREGON
Children First for Oregon
Children’s Institute
Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children

PENNSYLVANIA
A Child’s World
Aa To Zz Child Care and Learning Center
Aardvark Preschool
ABC Academy
ABC Kiddie Kampus
Adelaide Educational Center
And Still I Rise Youth Development Program
Arsenal Family & Children’s Center
BASD Child Care
Begin With Us Child Care and Preschool, Inc.
Bethany Daycare
Bloom Early Education Centers Inc.
Bright Start Academy
Building Blocks Child Development Center
Building Bridges Daycare, LLC
Capital Area Children’s Center
Capital Area Head Start
CCIS of Berks County
CCIS of Lehigh County
Central Susquehanna Association for the Education of Young Children
Child Care Information Services Columbia, Montour Northumberland
Child Care Information Services of Centre & Clinton County/Child Development & Family Council
Children of Destiny Early Learning Center
Children’s Village
Childspace Too Day Care Center
Christ Cornerstone Academy
Colorful Future Childcare Center
Creative Kids Daycare
Crosspoint Christian Child Care
Cuddle Zone Learning Center
Danville Child Development Center
Day Nursery Association
Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children
Dianne Irwin Family Child Care Home
Dignity Housing
Discovery Kids Childcare
Diversified Foods
Eileen Thompson Family Day Care
Elizabethtown Child Care Center
Family Matters Childcare Care
Fricchione Center, Marywood University
Frock Childcare
G & T Daycare
Grove City Area United Way
Health and Science Center
Healthy Bodies Project
Jack and Jill Preschool
Judith Holler Family DayCare
Just Equal Productions Broadcast, Inc.
Kiddie Academy
Kiddie Academy of Phoenixville
Kids & US Day Care Center
KidsPark – Willow Grove
Kidsville Learning Center After School Program
Kidz Biz – Washington Park
KinderCare Learning Center #301091
Lancaster Early Education Center
Lancaster Recreation
Latrobe Kinder-Schull
Lehigh and Northampton Association for the Education of Young Children
Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, Inc.
Lil World Of Angels Daycare Center
Little People Day Care School of Columbia
Mama’s Luv Childcare Center
McKean County Infant/Toddler Early Intervention
Millennium DayCare
Mini Montessori Academy
Mission Committee of Wayne Presbyterian Church
Montco Court Care
Montgomery Early Learning Centers
Myrtis’ Pre-School and Creative Learning Center
NCCS
Noahs Ark Daycare
Northwest Institute of Research – Northwest Regional Key
O.T. Leaders & Legacies
Oliver Family Day Care
Olympus Child Care
Once Upon A Time Early Leaning Center
Our Kids Academy Exton PA
Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children
Pennsylvania Child Care Association
Pennsylvania Fair Share
Pennsylvania Head Start Association
Pennsylvania Intermediate Unit 13
Pennsylvania Partnership for Children
People’s Emergency Center
Philadelphia HUNE
Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children
Playball
Playhouse Children’s Center
Porter’s Day Care
Pratt Street Learning Center
Precious Angels Community Center
Priscilla Layer
PSECU Child Care Center
Public Citizens for Children and Youth
Riverview Children’s Center
Rocky Run YMCA
Rodale Child Care Center
Saint Benedict Center
Sharis Mu’Min’s Family Childcare
Shirley Hollaack Family Child Care Home
Smartkids Child Care & Learning Center, Inc.
Snyder Union Mifflin Child Development, Inc.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Early Childhood Coalition
Special People In Northeast, Inc.
St. John’s Daycare
Stay and Play
Stepping Stones Preschool
Stevens Child Care Co,
Sunrise Kids Daycare Center
Teddy Bear Village Inc.
Temple University
Tender Care Learning Center
The Children’s Garden
The Goddard School At Spring Ridge
The Growing Tree Child Care Center Inc.
The Learning Lamp Center for Children
The Learning Tree School
The Little Nest, Inc.
The Parent-Child Home Program
The Vineyard Center
Tiny Tots Childcare & Learning Center, LLC
Trinity Childcare
Trinity Cooperative Day Nursery
TYL ll Inc
Volunteers of America Children’s Center
What About Me Childcare Services
YWCA Adams Commerce Center
YWCA Lancaster

RHODE ISLAND
Ready to Learn Providence
Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT

SOUTH CAROLINA
Family Footprint, Inc.
South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children
South Carolina Children’s Trust Fund
South Carolina Citizen Review Panel
South Carolina Early Childhood Association
South Carolina Program for Infant/Toddler Care
United Way Association of South Carolina
SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota Association for the Education of Young Children

TENNESSEE
Black Children’s Institute of Tennessee
Nashville Association for the Education of Young Children
Tennessee Association for the Education of Young Children

TEXAS
Black Child Development Institute, Houston
RESULTS Houston, U.S. Poverty
Texans Care for Children
Texas Association for the Education of Young Children
Voices for Children of San Antonio

UTAH
Professional Family Child Care Association of Utah
Utah Association for the Education of Young Children
Voices for Utah Children

VERMONT
Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children
Vermont Child Care Providers Association
Vermont Community Loan Fund
Voices for Vermont’s Children
VIRGINIA
Burke Child Care Connection
Cornerstones, Inc.
Creative Play School
Falls Church McLean Children’s Center
Infant Toddler Family Day Care
Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children
Northern Virginia Family Service
Peek A Boo Child Care Inc.
SCAN of Northern Virginia
The Child and Family Network Centers
Virginia Alliance of Family Child Care Associations
Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education
Voices for Virginia’s Children

WASHINGTON
Children’s Alliance
Partners for Our Children
Thrive Washington

WEST VIRGINIA
WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition

WISCONSIN
Black Child Development Institute, Milwaukee
Wisconsin Association for the Education of Young Children
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Wisconsin Early Childhood Association

WYOMING
Wyoming Community Foundation