Baby Steps or Big Steps? Elite Advocate Perspectives on U.S. Child Care Advocacy

Abstract

U.S. families of all income levels struggle to find safe and appropriate child care. Widespread need and calls to address child care quality indicate potential for the coalescence of a social movement. What would it take to build a child care movement in the United States? This article reports data from a qualitative study of elite child care advocates' perceptions of opportunities and obstacles toward a movement to address U.S. child care policy. Respondents indicated that strategic divisions among interest groups hamper the creation of comprehensive policy. Advocates remain divided on how to exploit perceived political opportunities and struggle over framing of the U.S. child care crisis.