Dear Action for Children Community Member,

Welcome to our new and improved donor and stakeholder newsletter, The Four.

This newsletter is your way to stay connected with Action for Children once a quarter with four pieces of information you should know. Each issue will have sections on what we are working on, your impact as a donor and stakeholder, a look behind the scenes here at AFC, and links to stories on our blog. Miss an issue? No problem! You can check out The Four webpage at any time. In this issue, we wanted to share what we have been thinking about and what our focus will be in 2026.

So, before anything else this year, we want to say: we get it. 

We’ve spent the last year listening. Really listening to what families, teachers, and child care programs are experiencing right now. Actually, we’ve been listening for over fifty years.  

The truth is simple: there’s a lot being asked of people who already give so much.  

A Moment We’ve Been Thinking About

It’s 6 AM, and a parent is gently wrestling a toddler into shoes that keep disappearing under the couch. 

It’s 3 PM, and a teacher is finally eating the lunch she packed at sunrise. 

It’s an administrator staring at next year’s budget, wondering how to break the news about another tuition increase. 

Across our community, there’s a lot of pressure no one talks about. 

We see it. 

We feel it. 

We get it. 

And we believe it shouldn’t be this hard. 

That belief is guiding everything we do in 2026.

What People Deserve

This year, we’re sharpening our advocacy stance around one simple idea: 

People deserve early childhood systems designed for stability, not strain. 

Parents deserve to choose care without guilt and without wondering if they’ll be able to pay the electric bill. 

Teachers deserve to feel valued, not depleted. 

Administrators deserve to run a stable business without raising fees just to survive. 

And our community deserves an early childhood system that lifts — not strains — the people holding it up. 

What We’re Working On 

We can’t undo decades of strain overnight — but we’re committed to strengthening the system for the long haul. 

Every day, we’re speaking up, standing with, and pushing for the changes families and educators deserve. 

Here’s where our advocacy is focused as we begin the year: 

• Strengthening the child care workforce through training, coaching, and multiple pathways to sustainable, meaningful careers. 

• Removing the barriers blocking families from finding quality, affordable care. 

• Supporting child care businesses so they can keep their doors open and pay their staff a living wage. 

• Elevating community voices in rooms where policy and funding decisions are made. 

Our approach is simple: 

Stand with people. 

Listen closely. 

Change what we can. 

Advocate for what must be better. 

What We Hope You Feel

Connection. Clarity. Steadiness. 

Belonging.

And above all: 

That AFC understands what people are going through. 

Whether you’re a parent, a provider, a partner, or a donor, we want you to feel something shift — even just a little — when you read these words: 

You matter. We see you. You shouldn’t have to carry this alone. 

And we’re working, every day, to make it better. 



Thank you for being part of this community.

We are stronger because you are in it. 

Read a special one-year anniversary message from our CEO, Tasha Booker.