Policy Updates – National Association for Family Child Care

2025 Policy Wins for Child Care and FCC: Building Power, Driving Change

NAFCC — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:26:19 +0000

As 2025 draws to a close, we reflect on a year marked by hard truths and hopeful progress. While progress at the federal level has been limited, with funding delays and a prolonged government shutdown, states have taken the lead. Across the country, bold action and policy victories at the state level remind us that change is possible when educators, families, and advocates organize together. These local wins offer valuable lessons and a clear path forward for building a stronger and more equitable child care system.

This year, family child care (FCC) educators had a seat at the table—meeting with congressional staffers, joining Hill visits, and mobilizing for A Day Without Child Care. Their voices shaped national conversations and strengthened the call for bold, sustained investment in the early care and education system.

Big Wins in State Policy

New Mexico
On November 1, New Mexico became the first state in the nation to guarantee universal child care for all residents, regardless of income. Families stand to save up to $12,000 annually in child care costs and committed to a mixed delivery system that includes family child care educators, family, friend, and neighbor caregivers, and other community-based programs.

NAFCC State Representative Olga Grays played a powerful role in the movement for change. A family child care educator in Albuquerque, Olga helped fight for more than a decade to make this possible. You can read more about her advocacy and impact in our recent blog: In Their Own Words: Olga Grays, New Mexico.

Connecticut

Approved the creation of an Early Childhood Endowment to expand the state-funded Early Start program. The endowment is projected to grow to over $1 billion within 3–5 years, supporting educator wage increases, a health care subsidy, 20,000 new infant/toddler and Pre-K spaces, eliminating copays for families under $100,000, and capping costs at 7 percent for families with higher incomes.

Texas

Finalized a state budget that includes $100 million in unexpended TANF funds to support child-care scholarships administered by the Texas Workforce Commission—helping reduce waitlists for families across the state.

Massachusetts

In 2025, the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care increased reimbursement rates for child care providers who accept state Child Care Financial Assistance. This increase strengthens financial stability for family child care educators and expands access for families statewide.

Accross the Nation

States are creating dedicated trust funds for early care and education, recurring stable, long-term funding beyond yearly budgets. The Alliance for Early Success reports progress on early-childhood policies in all 50 states, including wage raises, expanded eligibility, and new funding sources for family child care and early learning.

Family Child Care Wins

California – Home-Based FCC Providers’ Contract

Home-based providers in California, through the union Child Care Providers United (CCPU), ratified a 2025–2028 contract that secures stabilization pay, cost-of-living adjustments, health care coverage, and retirement benefits for family child care educators.

Read Statement

Michigan

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) awarded $2.6M to support the creation of Family Child Care Network Hubs across the state. These hubs will provide technical assistance, business support, and professional development tailored specifically to family child care educators.

Continued Momentum for Early Care & Education

Child care continues to be a winning issue. Voters in multiple communities approved new funding mechanisms for early care in 2025, showing that investment in child care resonates at the local level.
(Children’s Funding Project)

A national review of state legislative sessions found that 47 states had an opportunity to pass budgets last year, and many included meaningful supports for child care and early learning despite the absence of new federal relief.
(Child Care Aware of America)

New York City elected a mayor who ran on a platform of universal childcare. Connecticut, New Mexico, Texas, and Virginia have made bold investments that demonstrate what’s possible when early educators, families, and advocates collaborate to build power at the state level.

These victories send a clear message to Congress: families are demanding action, and the time for federal investment is now.

What’s Next

Continue building state and local power to drive national change.
Push Congress to fully fund programs that support child care educators and families.
Keep raising the voices of family child care educators, whose work anchors access, quality, and stability for children and families nationwide.

At NAFCC, we remain committed to placing family child care educators at the center of every policy conversation, a reflection of our shared truth: We are Family Child Care.

With gratitude and determination,
The NAFCC Policy and Movement Building Team

CACFP Updates during Government Shutdown

NAFCC — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:04:00 +0000

November 5, 2025

Dear Family Child Care Educators,

As the federal government shutdown continues, NAFCC is closely tracking updates that affect your programs and the families you serve. We want to ensure that you have the most accurate information and practical resources available to you right now.

According to the National CAFCP Association, the USDA has confirmed that State agencies have received funding to cover all CACFP reimbursements and cash-in-lieu claims for meals served in October and November. This means educators participating in CACFP should continue receiving payments through November and December as scheduled.

While this is positive news for now, we understand that many are concerned about what comes next—especially as other nutrition programs like SNAP and WIC face uncertainty.

These programs are essential lifelines for families and communities nationwide, and NAFCC continues to stay in close communication with partners as the situation evolves.

You can make your voice heard through the NAFCC Action Center to support continued funding for Head Start, SNAP, and other programs that sustain children, families, and family child care educators.

In the meantime, here are resources shared by National CACFP Association President Lisa Mack to help families access food and support if federal assistance is delayed or reduced:

Community Food Access

Use the Feeding America Food Bank Locator to find local food banks by ZIP code.
Families can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish) or text 97779 with a keyword like “food” or “meals” to connect with local resources.

Budget and Menu Tools

Family child care programs remain a vital link in the nation’s food and care infrastructure. Even in moments of policy uncertainty, your dedication ensures that children are nourished, families are supported, and communities remain strong.

NAFCC will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and will continue to advocate for policies that protect the stability of your work and the families who rely on you.

With appreciation,
NAFCC Policy and Movement Building Team
National Association for Family Child Care

Urgent Action Required – H.R. 1 Threatens Family Child Care and Community Supports

NAFCC — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 14:24:26 +0000

Issued by: Ronald Jarrett, Director of Policy and Public Affairs
Policy Focus: Federal Budget Reconciliation
Action Status: Immediate Advocacy Needed

Summary
Congress is advancing H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” a sweeping budget reconciliation bill that would significantly restructure programs that millions of families and home-based family child care educators rely on every day. The Senate has already passed the bill with a single vote and now heads to the House of Representatives.
This legislation would impose devastating cuts to core public assistance programs and destabilize the early care and education system, particularly for home-based child care educators.

What’s in the Bill

H.R. 1 includes:

Major funding cuts to:
- Medicaid
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- The Affordable Care Act
- Medicare
- Child and adult nutrition programs
No additional funding for child care or early learning.
Permanent extension of tax breaks from the 2017 tax law, primarily benefiting the top 1% of earners.
New, burdensome work and documentation requirements for benefit eligibility that are proven to remove eligible individuals from programs due to paperwork issues or access barriers

Projected Impact
If H.R. 1 becomes law:

Over 17 million people could lose health insurance.
SNAP benefits would be reduced for all 40 million current recipients.
States would be forced to cover 5–15% of the cost of food assistance, which may result in reduced eligibility or benefit amounts.
Families, immigrants, people with disabilities, and low-income workers—including child care educators—would bear the most significant burden.
Many eligible individuals would lose benefits due to administrative hurdles, not actual ineligibility.

Why This Matters for Family Child Care
The consequences of H.R. 1 are particularly damaging for home-based child care educators:

Up to 40% of the early childhood workforce depends on at least one public assistance program.
Losing Medicaid or SNAP could make it impossible for educators to care for children and remain financially stable.
Families who lose these supports may no longer be able to afford care or participate in programs like CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program).
Past state-level experiments with work requirements have shown that thousands of eligible people lost coverage due to administrative barriers.
The bill undermines the essential supports—health, nutrition, and income security—that allow family child care educators to do their work.

Despite claims that it promotes work, H.R. 1 would directly undercut the child care workforce and the families they serve.

What You Can Do Now
NAFCC urges all members and supporters to take immediate action to oppose H.R. 1.
Here’s how:

Visit the NAFCC Action Center to send a message to your Representative.
Call your Representative’s office to voice your concerns directly.
Share your story—how would these cuts affect your program, your livelihood, and the children and families you serve? Email policy@nafcc.org.
Talk to families and fellow educators to raise awareness about what’s at stake.
Post publicly using the hashtags #StopHR1 and #NAFCCVoices to amplify the message.

The Bottom Line
H.R. 1 would dismantle public programs that support family child care and working families while increasing tax breaks for the wealthiest households. This is a direct threat to the care infrastructure in this country.

Tell Congress: Vote NO on H.R. 1. Protect child care. Protect our communities.

The Silent Threat to Family Child Care

NAFCC — Mon, 19 May 2025 02:23:14 +0000

The Problem: Family Child Care Is Being Quietly Pushed Out 

Family child care (FCC) is diminishing at an alarming rate. Nearly 100,000 licensed FCC programs have closed since 2012, representing a 35% national decline (National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance, 2022). Despite being the most common licensed form of care in rural counties—where FCC makes up 92% of providers (Bipartisan Policy Center, 2020)—FCC educators remain largely excluded from public investments.

The proposed FY2026 federal budget, released May 2, makes this threat worse. It proposes to eliminate stabilizing programs like:

Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS)
Preschool Development Grants (PDG)
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

These are lifelines for FCC educators, covering basic utilities, stabilizing home-based businesses, and supporting families. Even more concerning: the budget fails to mention CCDBG, Head Start, or Early Head Start at all—signaling flat funding at a time when costs are surging. In today’s climate, flat funding equals cuts.

Without immediate action, these decisions could lead to:

Fewer subsidy slots for families
No rate increases for FCC educators already operating on razor-thin margins
No relief from inflation, staffing costs, or regulatory burdens

The Solution: Protect and Prioritize FCC in Federal Policy

FCC educators are not just caregivers—they are educators, entrepreneurs, and community anchors. They deserve:

Stabilized and expanded investments in CCDBG and Head Start, inclusive of sole proprietors and FCC models
Equitable access to public funding, contracts, and technical assistance—not just for centers
Disaggregated data in federal reporting to reflect FCC realities
Preservation of CCAMPIS, PDG, and LIHEAP, which support the homes where FCC happens

What You Can Do: Demand a Budget That Invests in FCC

We urge Congress to:

Fully fund CCDBG at $13 billion+ in FY2026, ensuring FCC inclusion
Reject the elimination of CCAMPIS, PDG, and LIHEAP
Expand Head Start and Early Head Start to support home-based care
Include FCC educators in all federal decision-making

Take Action Now

Family child care is a cornerstone of early education—and it’s at risk. Contact your members of Congress today and demand a federal budget that includes and uplifts FCC educators.

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