Statements – National Association for Family Child Care

A Statement from Erica Phillips, Executive Director, National Association for Family Child Care

NAFCC — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 20:46:27 +0000

As of October 1, the federal government has officially shut down. While elected leaders debate funding, family child care educators continue to show up every day, caring for children, supporting families, and holding communities together. We know this shutdown is not abstract. It could bring real consequences: delays in subsidy payments, uncertainty around reimbursements, and the potential disruption of vital services that educators and families rely on.

At NAFCC, we see you. We understand the pressure this places on programs already stretched thin. And we are here, not just to provide information, but to ensure your voice is heard in the conversations that matter.

We remain committed to elevating the role of family child care in every policy discussion, to advocating for the recognition and resources you deserve, and to standing beside you, especially in moments like this.

-Erica Phillips

NAFCC STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF H.R. 1 – Issued July 3, 2025

NAFCC — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 20:40:51 +0000

The U.S. House of Representatives has now passed H.R. 1—a sweeping and dangerous budget bill that threatens the stability of family child care, public health programs, and basic nutrition support for millions of Americans.

This bill:

Slashes funding for Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act
Offers no additional investment in child care or early learning
Makes permanent the 2017 tax cuts that benefit only the wealthiest households
Adds burdensome new work and documentation requirements that will block eligible families and educators from receiving critical support

The consequences are clear:

Over 17 million people could lose health insurance
SNAP benefits would be reduced for 40 million recipients
State governments would be forced to cover more costs, reducing eligibility and benefits
Up to 40% of early childhood educators—many of whom rely on public programs—could be pushed further into crisis

We are devastated—but not defeated.

We’ve seen your action in recent days. You called Congress. You shared your stories. You mobilized your communities. Your voices matter. And they are still urgently needed.

Now, we channel this energy into August and beyond:

August is Advocacy is Action Month follow NAFCC advocacy campaign and participate alongside your fellow FCC educators
NAFCC will provide new tools, training, and resources for effective local advocacy
We will uplift educators’ stories to hold policymakers accountable
We will fight for what working families and family child care educators need to thrive.

Here’s how you can take action now:

Send a message to your Representative: www.nafcc.org/act-now
Share your story with us at policy@nafcc.org
Talk to families, neighbors, and local leaders
Post using hashtags #NAFCCVoices to amplify your message

We’re still here. We’re still essential. And we’re just getting started.
Together, we will protect child care.
Together, we will protect our communities.

Statement on the Growing Child Care Crisis in Wisconsin

NAFCC — Fri, 16 May 2025 16:25:44 +0000

The National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) recognizes the growing crisis in child care and the deep frustrations that have led many educators in Wisconsin to take bold action. We acknowledge that early educators across the country are under extreme pressure due to unsustainable funding models, low wages, and lack of investment.

Many Wisconsin educators feel their only option to be heard is to close their doors — a choice that weighs heavily on educators, families, and communities. NAFCC affirms the urgency of the issues it raises.

Family child care professionals are essential. They are small business owners, educators, and vital supports to working families — yet they are consistently asked to do more with less. We reject a system that continues to place the burden of broken policies on family child care educators — policies that too often lead to the closure of essential programs and the loss of vital community resources.

NAFCC remains steadfast in our commitment to:

Increasing compensation and funding for child care providers
Ensuring equitable access to high-quality early learning
Centering family child care in policy solutions

We call on policymakers to prioritize sustained public investment that reflects the critical role child care plays in a thriving society. The time for meaningful change is now.

NAFCC Statement on the FY2026 Budget: A Silent Threat to Family Child Care

NAFCC — Fri, 02 May 2025 21:13:55 +0000

The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 federal budget, released on May 2, includes a sweeping rollback of investments that directly and indirectly support families and the early childhood infrastructure they rely on. While headlines focus on high-profile program eliminations, the deeper threat to family child care (FCC) lies in what the budget fails to say — and who it fails to support.

Among the most troubling elements of the proposal:

The elimination of Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), Preschool Development Grants (PDG), and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) — three programs that have quietly stabilized the lives, homes, and businesses of countless FCC educators and the families they serve.
These are not abstract cuts. They are practical tools that help FCC educators keep the lights on, afford utilities, and continue providing care in their communities.

Equally concerning is what the budget does not address. Critical early childhood programs — including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), Head Start, and Early Head Start — are not mentioned in the proposal at all. In the context of a proposed $163 billion cut to non-defense discretionary spending, and agency reductions of up to 26%, their omission likely signals flat funding rather than new investment.

In today’s environment of rising operating costs, inflation, and heightened regulatory burdens, flat funding is a functional cut. For FCC educators, this could mean:

Fewer subsidy slots for eligible families
No rate increases for providers already operating on razor-thin margins
No relief for small business owners still reeling from the economic aftermath of the pandemic

Family child care educators are the most flexible, culturally responsive, and community-embedded providers in the early care and education system. They are educators, caregivers, and small business owners—often all in one day. Their homes double as classrooms, safe havens, and engines of local economic resilience.

And yet, they remain underfunded, undervalued, and under-recognized in both federal policy and funding priorities.
The proposed budget fails to acknowledge this reality. It offers no vision, no plan, and no investment in the essential role FCC educators play in supporting working families and young children.

We reject the idea that level funding is sufficient. It is not. The Fiscal Year 2026 proposal does not meet the moment and does not reflect a government committed to building a stable, inclusive, and sustainable child care system.
This is not just a funding decision — it is a values test.

We call on Congress to:

Reject the elimination of CCAMPIS, PDG, and LIHEAP
Prevent any erosion of support to CCDBG, Head Start, and Early Head Start
Ensure meaningful, inflation-sensitive increases in funding for child care and FCC in particular