National Women's Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) works to improve the lives of women and girls, with a focus on the needs of low-income families. It provides state level data analyses, materials, and technical assistance to ensure new that support families are passed and enforced.

The National Women’s Law Center advances gender justice in the states, working across issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. Child care, family leave, pregnancy accommodation, and child nutrition programs are just a few of the many areas where NWLCs policy fight intersects with state early childhood policy advocacy.

State allies can call on NWLC to:

Equip them with research that helps them fight for child care investments and advance better child care policies.

NWLC has extensive research on child care issues for low-income families, communities of color, and providers, and educators. Resources can focus on strategies for responding to the pandemic; the role of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care; the impact of child care on women’s economic security; and policies that enhance the resiliency of the child care system for the long-term.

Provide analysis of federal legislation, including federal policy on child care, family leave, SNAP, taxes, and — most recently — COVID relief and rescue bills.

NWLC equips state-based advocates and grassroots organizers with the knowledge of federal policy they need to be forceful advocates in their states. This includes conference calls, memos, fact sheets, and convenings that facilitate peer-to-peer learning and strengthen state-federal feedback loops.

Provide state-specific data on the use of child care funds.

NWLC can track, report, and analyze state use of federal child care funds and help state advocates prioritize allocation issues for advocacy.

Provide guidance and expertise around child care and dependent care tax policies.

NWLC can provide technical assistance to advocates seeking guidance around state tax policies regarding child and dependent care, including providing policy analysis and legislative language.