Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care
The moms of America want candidates for public office to truly stand with families by putting forward policies that address one of the most present needs for families, access to high-quality affordable child care. That’s why moms from across the nation have come together to insist on a gold standard for child care, a Mom Childcare Platform outlined below.
Candidates who receive the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care commit to working in partnership with families and providers to advance child care policy change that upholds 3 core components of comprehensive solutions:
AFFORDABILITY
Every family has access to publicly-supported affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities for children birth to school age. Ensures families, at a minimum, pay no more than $10 a day on childcare with most paying less or nothing.
Examples ⇒
- Creates universal access to high-quality early learning opportunities for children birth to school age.
- Ensures families pay no more than 7% of their household income on childcare (through a sliding scale) regardless of how many children they have.
ACCESSIBILITY
Families have the freedom to find and choose the childcare setting that matches their families’ needs regardless of zip code.
Examples ⇒
- Supports parents having a meaningful choice in care providers that meets their family’s needs – whether that be a center or family childcare home, friend, relative, or neighbor, or at home; and provides easy to access to information on programs including quality, standards, and key components in one place for families to evaluate program options that meet their needs.
- Ensures every neighborhood, from rural to urban communities, has high-quality childcare with enriching programming, with appropriate ratios, outdoor areas for safe play and access to nutritious food and snacks.
- Includes flexible, hourly drop-in, and wider coverage options for working families with evening, weekend, and overnight care needs.
QUALITY
Child care educators are compensated with family-sustaining wages and benefits and are surrounded by resources and support to ensure quality early childhood experience for all children.
Examples ⇒
- Provides for a diverse, well-trained, and fairly compensated workforce that reflects the children and families they serve, and supports positive and consistent interactions between caregivers, parents, and children with adequate paid time for professional development and alternative pathways to certification.
- Focuses on the whole child with attention to social-emotional development.
- Honors and supports home culture and language.
- Authentically engages and partners with families and meets the needs of each family to meaningfully engage in their child’s care and education.
- Eliminates and sets forth alternatives to punitive and biased disciplinary practices like the use of suspensions, and expulsions, restraint, and seclusion.
- Leads with an equity framework by integrating training and support on trauma informed care, early childhood mental health supports, early supports and services for children with disabilities, supporting dual language learners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an endorsement?
No, this is not an endorsement. The Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care denotes that a candidate has committed to being a child care champion looking at comprehensive solutions during their campaign and, if elected, while serving in office, and will work in partnership with families to address the child care crisis and solve child care.
Can only one candidate in a race get the Seal?
All candidates in a race are eligible to receive the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care. Any candidate running for President or Congressional office may earn the Seal by committing to be a child care champion through committing to be a child care champion as laid out in the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care commitment guidelines.
How was the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care Developed?
First launched in the 2016 election as the Child Care Challenge, the Moms' Seal of Approval for Child Care builds off the mom-built, mom-approved “Child Care Challenge” that identifies the full scope of comprehensive child care solutions needed as identified by MomsRising and MamásConPoder members in leadership programs, listening sessions, surveys, testimonies, and parent to parent conversations.
How can I get involved?
Sign up here to get more information to urge your local candidates to earn the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care here
Sign our petition urging Presidential candidates to earn the Moms' Seal of Approval on Child Care here
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