Finding My Voice: Why I Attended the Child Care Aware of America Symposium in Washington, D.C.

By Sara Laughlin, Family Action Network Member

As a parent from Miami County, I decided to attend the Child Care Aware of America’s Child Care Strong: Igniting Opportunity Symposium 2026 because I wanted to be a voice for families in my community. Parents are living the reality of child care every single day, and I felt it was important for our experiences to be heard directly by the people making decisions that affect our children and our futures.

Child care impacts every part of my daily life. Because my boys attend Head Start, I am able to work and provide for my family. Without child care, I would have to stay home to care for them myself, making it impossible to earn a living the way I do now. For many families, child care is not just a convenience — it is the foundation that allows parents to work, grow, and support their children.

When I arrived at the symposium, the Child Care Aware of America staff immediately made us feel welcome. I was surprised to learn that this was the first time parents had been invited to attend the symposium, and there were only parents from five states present. Knowing that I was one of those voices made the experience feel even more meaningful.

One speaker who truly stood out to me was Alisha De Lorenzo, an educator and motivational speaker. She was uplifting, encouraging, and reminded everyone in the room how powerful parent voices can be. Throughout the event, I also heard many stories that sounded just like my own. So many families are struggling with the affordability of child care and the lack of available spots for children. It was comforting, but also heartbreaking, to realize how many parents are facing the same challenges.

One moment that really stayed with me was seeing the cost of child care displayed on a graph. I had seen the prices before, but seeing the numbers visually was overwhelming. The national average cost of child care is over $13,000 for one child. That number alone shows why so many families are struggling.

Being in a space where parents were truly included felt empowering. It meant so much to be part of an organization that not only wanted to hear my story but appreciated me showing up and sharing it. Policymakers and organizations need to hear directly from families because we are the ones living this reality every day. We face the costs, the waitlists, the stress, and the daily challenges of raising children. Statistics matter, and educators’ voices matter too, but there is something incredibly powerful about hearing directly from a mother or father who is living through it.

Attending the symposium made me want to do even more advocacy work. It left me asking myself: What else can I do? Who else can I share my story with? How far can this journey go? The experience empowered me and reminded me that advocacy starts with simply speaking up. I want to help other parents find their voices and encourage them to share their own experiences too.

I believe every parent and family advocate should have opportunities like this. Traveling to Washington, D.C., speaking with policymakers, and sharing my story was an incredible experience. Sometimes it only takes one story from one person to completely open someone’s eyes to new possibilities and inspire change.

If there is one thing I want readers to remember, it is this: everyone’s story is powerful. It takes all of us working together to create change for our children and families. Start talking. Start sharing. Your voice matters.