Dear child care providers,
 
As 2020 comes to an end, we just wanted to send you a huge thank you to all of you for your incredible work this year! Being a child care provider was already tough enough, and many of you were struggling even before the pandemic. But this year has shown just how resilient the child care community is! In the midst of uncertainty and fear, you all stepped up to advocate for child care in New Jersey like never before! From completing ACNJ’s surveys, attending and presenting on webinars, emailing your representatives, and meeting with your members of congress, the voice of child care providers has never been louder! And you did this all while juggling implementing new health and safety guidelines, navigating loan applications, and supporting your staff and families, all on top of putting your own lives at risk! 
 
And all your amazing advocacy work this year has truly made a difference! Our lawmakers have taken important steps in prioritizing funding for child care. And as a country, the issue of child care has been elevated and more conversations are focusing on the need and value of child care. This is all due to your work in raising your voices!
 
While there is still much work to be done in strengthening our child care system, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the incredible work over the past year and thank you all. We are looking forward to continuing to work with you in the new year to elevate the voices of the child care community!
 
Sincerely,
The ACNJ Early Learning Team