Make the Most of August Recess

During August, Members of Congress return to their home states and districts for a scheduled recess to hear directly from the people they represent. This at home work period is a key moment for advocates to build support and ensure child care remains a top priority. First Five Years Fund (FFYF), Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers (NCIT) held a webinar with actionable guidance and tools for how to get involved.

Between now and September 30th, Congress will be making decisions on how much funding child care and early learning programs will receive. Our ask to lawmakers: Please protect and prioritize funding for child care and early learning in the FY2026 Appropriations package. ​

Watch the full webinar here, view the slide deck here, and see all linked resources below. 

What we covered, the resources we shared, and how you can get involved are below.

Take Action – Contact Your Lawmakers

Schedule a meeting, invite your member of Congress to tour your program, or attend a public event where you can speak up for better child care policies.

The Ask: Please protect and prioritize funding for child care and early learning in the FY2026 Appropriations package. ​

To learn how to schedule a meeting, what to ask, how to talk about it, and the best way to follow up, see Slides 20-24.

FACT SHEETS: Customize Your State/District Data

​The more you can tailor child care data to reflect what’s happening in a specific state or congressional district, the more powerful your message will be. Lawmakers want to know how issues impact the families, providers, and businesses they represent. Use the resources below to find and share localized data that will resonate:

Ready to Take Action? Share this with our network.

📬 Start by reaching out to your member of Congress’s local office to request a meeting or invite them to visit a local program.

📢 Speak up at town halls or public events. Let lawmakers know that families and providers in your community need affordable, accessible, quality child care.

📎 Use our above toolkits and templates to make your outreach easy, effective, and impactful.

👉 All event resources and materials are available here.

Advocates heard from:

Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar—and to everyone who is taking action in their community this August. Together, we can keep the momentum going and make child care a priority for every lawmaker.