“Child Care Makes It Work!” Reception on Capitol Hill
What a wonderful evening on Capitol Hill! On May 20, First Five Years Fund hosted “Child Care Makes Things Work,” a bipartisan reception celebrating the essential role child care plays in supporting working families, businesses, and the economy. The event also marked the launch of FFYF’s inaugural Federal-State Partnership Program, bringing together child care advocates and providers from 15 states to meet directly with lawmakers and congressional staff about the importance of strengthening federal child care policy.
The room was filled with Members of Congress, congressional staff, child care providers, advocates, and state partners from across the country who were all united around a shared goal: ensuring families can find and afford quality child care and that providers have the support they need to serve their communities.
The evening highlighted the bipartisan Child Care Modernization Act, legislation designed to strengthen the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program and better address the child care challenges facing families today and in the future.
Guests heard remarks from bipartisan champions of the legislation, including Senators Susan Collins, Deb Fischer, and John Hickenlooper, who spoke about the importance of child care to families, local economies, and the workforce.
The evening was moderated by FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling, who thanked lawmakers and advocates for their continued leadership and emphasized the urgency of strengthening child care investments nationwide.
“At First Five Years Fund, we believe every family should be able to find and afford child care that works for them,” Rittling said. “But right now, too many parents are struggling with costs, and too many providers are struggling just to keep their doors open. That’s why the Child Care Modernization Act is so important. It’s a practical, bipartisan effort to strengthen the Child Care and Development Block Grant program and help states better meet the needs of families, providers, and employers.”
She also thanked the bipartisan sponsors of the legislation, Senators Fischer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Hickenlooper, and Collins, for their leadership and commitment to working families across the country.
Most importantly, the reception celebrated the partnerships that make progress possible. Throughout the evening, advocates from 15 states connected with congressional offices to share firsthand stories about the challenges families and providers face and the importance of bipartisan federal solutions that help child care work better for everyone.
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