Child care is the workforce behind the workforce but our current policy approaches do not reflect that. Research reveals that home-based child care providers (HBCC) struggle to make ends meet, have unstable incomes and variable levels of access to essential benefits like health care and retirement. We strongly encourage state leaders in partnership with home-based child care providers, partners and networks to prioritize access to these critical benefits for HBCC providers. This resource highlights opportunities to improve access to critical benefits for providers.
Opportunities for States to Improve Benefits Access for Home-based Child Care Providers
A Love Letter to FFN Caregivers
From presidential candidate Kamala Harris to Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, many leaders credit home-based child care providers with raising them up and saving their careers. In celebration of FFN Appreciation Week, we spoke with three distinguished leaders in the child care sector to hear how their experiences with FFN care shaped who they are today.
Caring for Kids and Empowering Communities: Grandmothers Make the World a Better Place
Deborah Young, a grandmother from Boulder, Colorado, has spent decades caring for children and empowering communities. Through her experience as a single mother and educator, she has supported immigrant and refugee women, helping them turn caregiving into sustainable businesses. Her community-driven approach focuses on connection, trust, and collective wisdom to nurture both children and communities. Young’s lifelong mission exemplifies the power of home-based child care in transforming lives.