Home Grown is grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for proposing changes in response to both the needs of families to access affordable, quality child care and to the needs of child care providers to earn a family-sustaining wage for their critically necessary work offering high-quality child care. Our recommendations aim to ensure that all home-based child care providers, who constitute a vital part of the sector and serve approximately half of the children in care, can share in the benefits of the changes proposed by the administration and help meet the need for high-quality, accessible and affordable child care. Here we share our comments in response to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families proposal to amend the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) regulations.
Alexandra R. Patterson is an accomplished early childhood policy and strategy leader who brings deep expertise in navigating the complex policy and programmatic landscape that shapes equitable access to high-quality care. As Deputy Executive Director at Home Grown, she leads cross-sector initiatives that integrate research, systems change, and advocacy, translating data and community insight into actionable policy solutions for home-based child care providers. With a strong foundation in public program administration—most notably overseeing the implementation and policy alignment of Philadelphia’s $30+ million PHLpreK initiative—Alexandra has consistently driven large-scale efforts that balance fiscal accountability, regulatory compliance, and community impact. Her passion for early childhood stems from the strongly held belief that access to quality early learning experiences for all is a social justice issue. Alexandra holds a Master of Science in Education from Bank Street College of Education, a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Delaware, and a Grassroots Advocacy and Lobbying Professional Certificate from the University of Richmond.
