ARLINGTON, Va., April 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The future of policy and practice for 11 million children in child care will be the focus of Child Care Aware ® of America's 2014 Symposium April 2-4, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.
This three-day event brings child care and early education professionals from across the nation to focus on early education policy, research, practice and innovative ways to change the field. A breakfast on Thursday will also recognize U.S. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Richard Burr (R-NC) for their efforts championing the Child Care and Development Block Grant reauthorization.
"Families need a quality, safe child care system that supports their education and economic advancement," said Lynette M. Fraga, Ph.D., Executive Director, Child Care Aware® of America. "The science is clear and the research is astounding; there are long term positive outcomes when children begin learning from birth. For 11 million children in child care for up to 36 hours a week, there is a huge opportunity for families to help their children build healthy foundations for life."
Tomorrow's event will be opened by Ann O'Leary, Vice President of Next Generation and Co-Director of Too Small to Fail, a joint initiative of Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation that aims to help parents and businesses take meaningful actions to improve the health and well-being of children ages birth to five.
"More than 90 percent of our children's brain development happens during the ages of birth to five, before they enter the formal school system and when they are in the care of parents, relatives or professional caregivers," said Ann O'Leary. "Children can make terrific gains if they have access to high-quality child care during these early years. At Too Small to Fail, we support efforts to improve the quality of child care for all children so that they have the best shot at success."
Presenters from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services- Administration for Children and Families, National Women's Law Center, and the National Head Start Association are confirmed for the event and will help shape conversation about the importance of quality child care.
The full program including a list of speakers, topics and session times is available at symposium.usa.childcareaware.org
Symposium participants will engage policymakers on critical child care issues, leverage cutting-edge research and strategies that promote quality child care, and discuss the future of child care and early learning in their communities and across the nation.
The event will also include:
- An exclusive preview of the documentary, "The Raising of America"; a six-part series scheduled to air nationwide on PBS this fall
- More than 25 breakout sessions in areas of Policy, Research, Practice and Innovation
- A guest appearance by Sesame Street's Walkaround Cookie Monster
- Day on the Hill, in-person meetings with members of Congress
On Friday, the closing keynote will be given by Dr. Myra Jones-Taylor, Executive Director of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.
The event comes on the heels of the Senate voting to pass the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) of 2014 by a vote of 96-2. Child Care Aware® of America has pushed for CCDBG reauthorization for nearly two decades.
The 2014 Symposium is sponsored by Community Playthings, Kaplan Early Learning Company, Child Care Resource Center™, Knowledge Universe, Nemours and Lakeshore Learning Materials.
For more information about Child Care Aware® of America's event or to register for Symposium visit symposium.usa.childcareaware.org . For press registration, please email news@usa.childcareaware.org .
About Child Care Aware® of America
Child Care Aware® of America is our nation's leading voice for child care. We work with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies and community partners to help ensure all families have access to quality, affordable child care. To achieve our mission, we lead projects that strengthen the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake nationally recognized research , and advocate for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit usa.childcareaware.org
Monique Rizer 703.341.4183
