The Raising Child Care Fund is an initiative of ECFC that pools private foundation dollars to give grants to groups that lift up the voices of families, early educators, and allies—working alongside them to build powerful coalitions to transform child care and expand equity.
RCCF Grantee Partners in the News
Child care advocates warn against shifting responsibility to states
In coverage from The Hill, Mary Ignatius of Parent Voices, an RCCF grantee partner, responds to comments from Donald Trump suggesting child care should be left to states. She emphasizes how reduced federal investment would deepen affordability challenges for families and destabilize providers, reinforcing the…
Here are the early childhood services that might pause if the US government shuts down again
In coverage from LAist, Mary Ignatius of Parent Voices, an RCCF grantee partner, speaks to the real-time consequences of federal instability for families who rely on child care subsidies and Head Start. The story highlights how funding disruptions threaten providers’ stability and families’ ability to…
Threats of a child care funding freeze jeopardizes us all, including in Alabama: op-ed
In this AL.com op-ed, Lenice Emanuel, executive director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice and an RCCF grantee partner, warns that a proposed federal child care funding freeze could destabilize programs across Alabama. She outlines how disruptions to federal support would threaten providers, small…
Six Things Child Care Organizers Want You to Know
In a Word In Black feature, early childhood organizers across the country—all RCCF grantee partners—share six key lessons from a year of advocacy and organizing. Voices include Tyrone Scott (First Up), Erin Clark (9to5 Georgia), Tamara Lunan (The CEO Project), Lenice Emanuel (Alabama Institute for…
Child Care Costs More than Rent in Most Metro Areas. Why Can’t We Fix That?
Child care costs outpacing rent, and what it reveals about affordability. In an EdSurge feature on rising child care costs, Tyrone D. Lewis (First Up), Lenice H. Ahmed (African Immigrant and Somali Women’s Network/AISJ), and Jasmine Bowles (9to5 Georgia), all RCCF grantee partners, share firsthand…
Education Advocates Call for Overhaul of Universal Pre-K Funding Model
The way that universal prekindergarten in New York state is funded is flawed and unsustainable, according to a recent report from three organizations. The Alliance for Quality Education, The Public Policy Education Fund, and the Children’s Agenda all say the funding model needs an overhaul….
SNAP Suspension Puts Alabama Families, Children, and Child Care at Risk
Written by Lenice Emanuel, Executive Director of the Alabama Institute for Social Justice: On October 27, 2025, the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) announced that November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits would be suspended due to the ongoing federal government shutdown and lack…
The People will not be silenced.
Tarrezz Thompson on protecting child care resources In a Columbus Dispatch letter to the editor, Tarrezz Thompson of The CEO Project, an RCCF grantee partner, urges policymakers to prioritize and protect child care funding—calling attention to how budget decisions impact families and local providers.
Early Childhood Educators, Organizers and Youth Respond to Federal Government Shutdown
As the 2025 federal government shutdown continues, early childhood programs are confronting staff hour cuts, disrupted routines, and strained resources. SPACEs In Action, an RCCF grantee partner, highlights how these pressures threaten program quality and family access to care in Washington, D.C., calling attention to…