How States Can Improve Child Care Facilities and Physical Spaces Using Federal Relief Dollars
With more than $50 billion in federal relief invested in the child care sector, along with additional resources for states and localities to respond to the pandemic, states have unprecedented opportunities to create a more equitable, sustainable, comprehensive early care and education system. While investments in the workforce are the most important driver of child care quality and supply, facilities are a key element of creating a high-quality child care experience in centers and family child care homes. However thin operating margins and decades of public underfunding have left many child care providers with limited resource to improve their facility infrastructure, a reality disproportionately and inequitably experienced by providers in communities of color. This article developed jointly by NAEYC, CLASP, EdCounsel, NAFCC and NCFN, profiles funding streams and offers strategies that states, territories and tribes can consider improving child care facilities and physical spaces.
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Meet Monique Fountain Hanna: The BUILD Initiative’s Newest Staff Member
Blog June 30, 2025
The BUILD Initiative is thrilled to welcome Monique Fountain Hanna, MD, MPH, MBA, to our staff as Interim Director of State Services. Monique has over 23 years of experience transforming public health systems; driving health equity; overseeing the development of infant, maternal, and child health-serving systems; and advancing quality standards across the country.
No Place to Grow: Rethinking Homelessness Through a Whole-Child, Whole-Family Lens
Archived Webinar June 11, 2025
Imagine trying to raise your joyful, curious two-year-old in a walk-in closet. There’s no room for toys, no space to play, and every sound echoes too loudly. You’re constantly on edge—not because you’re hiding your child, but because you’re worried that the typical noise of a developing toddler might be too much for the homeowner. The fear of losing even this small, temporary space looms during everyday moments, from enjoying your child’s laughter to dealing with their tantrums. This is what homelessness can look like for families across the country—living in cramped, unstable conditions that threaten not just housing security, but a child’s developmental foundation.
When It’s Too Hot to Play, Sleep, or Learn: Supporting Children and Caregivers in a Warming World
Archived Webinar May 12, 2025
When we think about young children and temperature, we often think about cold conditions and the protections needed to stay warm and safe. But how often do we consider the opposite: extreme heat? As climate change drives temperatures higher, extreme heat is becoming a more frequent and dangerous part of everyday life, especially for young children and caregivers living in under-resourced communities.