For five unforgettable days in Chicago, Family Child Care educators, advocates, partners, and leaders from across the country came together to connect, learn, celebrate, and advocate for the future of the profession at the 2026 National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) Annual Conference.
More than a gathering, the conference served as a reminder of the strength of the Family Child Care community and the collective commitment to ensuring children and families have access to high-quality early learning experiences.
Learning Together, Leading Forward
From the pre-conference sessions through the final workshops, attendees explored new ideas, strengthened their leadership skills, and engaged in meaningful conversations about the future of Family Child Care.
Executive Director Erica Williamson Phillips welcomed attendees by celebrating the resilience, expertise, and impact of Family Child Care educators and encouraging them to continue leading with purpose.
Before the conference officially began, NAFCC convened state administrators and family child care leaders for Building Inclusive Early Care and Education Systems: Centering Family Child Care, alongside the FCC Advocacy Institute and Ignite Leadership sessions. These pre-conference experiences equipped participants to strengthen systems, raise their voices, and lead meaningful change in their communities.
Conference sessions focused on advocacy, business sustainability, quality improvement, leadership, and public policy, equipping educators with practical strategies they can bring back to their programs and communities.
One of the conference’s most memorable moments came during the keynote address from Mychal Threets, whose authentic message reminded attendees that the work of Family Child Care extends far beyond the classroom.
The Opening Plenary Policy Panel, The Promise and Pitfalls of Universal Models for Family Child Care, underscored the importance of designing policies with family child care educators, not simply around them. As the discussion highlighted, for decades too many systems have been built around family child care instead of with family child care. Panelists reinforced that advancing high-quality, equitable early childhood systems requires greater public investment while ensuring Family Child Care educators have a meaningful seat at every table where policies and decisions affecting children, families, and the profession are made.
Celebrating the Heart of Family Child Care
The conference also provided meaningful opportunities to celebrate the educators and leaders whose dedication continues to strengthen and elevate Family Child Care across the country.
One of the conference highlights was the Leaders Shaping Leaders Cohort III Graduation and Gallery Walk, which recognized the accomplishments of emerging Family Child Care leaders who completed NAFCC’s leadership development program.
Additionally, the Toast to Quality Celebration, sponsored by the CDA Council for Professional Recognition, honored NAFCC Accredited Family Child Care Educators who have demonstrated an ongoing commitment to quality. Against a Roaring Twenties backdrop, the evening celebrated the professionalism, passion, and perseverance that define accredited Family Child Care programs.
NAFCC also extends its appreciation to Proudly • for melanated babies for its generous swag bag donation and to the CDA Council for Professional Recognition for its continued investment in advancing quality in Family Child Care.
The conference recognized outstanding leadership throughout the NAFCC community during several special events. The annual Policy Fellows Lunch & Learn honored the accomplishments of the 2025–2026 NAFCC Policy Fellows: Tessie Ragan (California), Shemik Dunn Sellars (Virginia), and Mary Curry (Washington).
During the Saturday Membership Meeting & Awards Luncheon, attendees celebrated Dr. Ellaine Miller for five years of dedicated service as NAFCC Board President and welcomed new leadership with the installation of Board President Yvette Sanchez Fuentes and Board Vice President Yessika Magdaleno. NAFCC also recognized the dedication of its State Representatives, affiliate leaders, and caucus leaders, whose leadership strengthens Family Child Care in communities nationwide. The luncheon also celebrated recipients of NAFCC’s annual board awards. Individual award recipients, along with the Toast to Quality honorees, will be featured in a separate blog.
Thank You to Our Partners
The success of the 2026 Annual Conference would not have been possible without the generous support of the organizations that invest in Family Child Care. Thank you to Shine Early Learning, Platinum Conference Sponsor; the CDA Council for Professional Recognition; Wonderschool; and all of the sponsors and partners whose commitment helped create an inspiring experience for attendees.
Looking Ahead
As educators return home with new ideas, stronger connections, and renewed energy, the momentum from this year’s conference continues. The conversations that began in Chicago will shape classrooms, strengthen businesses, inform advocacy efforts, and inspire new leaders across the Family Child Care profession.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 NAFCC Annual Conference. Together, we are raising voices, building bridges, and advancing Family Child Care for children, families, and communities across the nation.
We look forward to next year’s conference in Jacksonville, Florida, from July 15-17, 2027.
