The conclusion of the year is a time of reflection for many, and we are no exception. As 2022 comes to a close, we are reflecting on all the year had to offer—moments of challenge, moments of hope, moments of loss, great successes, and some missed opportunities.  

CLASP's child care and early education (CCEE) team has seen continued widespread support and intentional advocacy for greater investment in the field, witnessed many states’ innovative uses of COVID relief funds, saw the passage of the Keep Kids Fed Act, celebrated victorious state legislative sessions, and saw big wins for CCEE in some state elections. We also remain confident in the reauthorization of the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 by end of year. We’ve also remained steadfast in our commitment to support states in the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act’s (ARPA) investments while continuing to advocate for further long-term investments in the field.   

While there is much to celebrate, there is also disappointment in the missed opportunities to pass historic and transformative investments in CCEE. We advocated alongside you for most of the year in a effort to pass the Build Back Better Act and secure hundreds of billions of dollars for CCEE. The bill (2022 Inflation Reduction Act) that eventually passed included important and long-overdue investments to help restore fairness in our tax system, reduce health care costs, and address the climate crisis. However, it failed to address many longstanding economic issues that are critical for communities with low incomes, communities of color, and immigrants including investments in child care and early education. Policymakers can’t continue to leave out children, their families, and early education professionals cannot continue to be left out, and we won't stop pushing for their inclusion in future legislation.  

As we look ahead to 2023, we are focused on both continued implementation of ARPA resources and working our way toward the big, bold, and transformative policy necessary to undo past and current inequities for families and providers. While ARPA funds were crucial in enabling states to implement innovative policies and resources that helped mitigate the CCEE system’s longstanding inequities, these resources are temporary. Therefore, large, sustained investments must be a priority. We know that in order to support families and providers, policymakers must make meaningful investments that guarantee accessible, affordable, high-quality care for children provided by CCEE professionals who are well compensated and well supported. We remain committed to strategic advocacy and state technical assistance to work toward an equitable, high-quality CCEE system for parents and providers in this upcoming year and beyond.   

During the last quarter, the child care and early education team's work was featured in many publications including: Essence, Detroit Free Press, Early Learning Nation, and more.