Child Care Trust

Three Fundamental Truths About

It allows families to work, supports children’s healthy development, and underpins our local, state, and national economies.

Americans across the political spectrum believe families should be able to choose affordable, quality child care.

The system is in crisis.

70% of young children live in households where all parents are working.

81% of parents say that expanding access to child care should be a top or high priority for both federal and state policymakers.

$216 - $329 Billion in lost household earnings, business productivity, and tax revenue, due to lack of available child care.

Systems Design

Define how a functioning child care system should work and how to build it.

Develop financing and governance models that reflect the true cost of quality child care.
Identify sustainable funding pathways across federal, state, and private sectors.
Design models that support affordability for families and fair compensation for the workforce.

Solution Development

Produce policy-ready solutions that can be easily adopted.

Cross-Sector Collaboration & Innovation Bring the right actors to the same table.

Convene leaders across business, government, and research to co-design actionable solutions.
Accelerate adoption by engaging those who control funding, policy, and delivery systems.

Thought Leadership & Strategic Influence

Drive uptake of solutions.

Translate research into clear, compelling options for decision-makers.
Use media, partnerships, and convenings to drive uptake.
Position actionable solutions—not just the crisis—at the center of the national agenda.

Linda K. SmithExecutive Director

Designing the future of child care