Federal Updates Webinar 6.26

Join us for continued updates on Head Start on the federal level and actions you can take to stay informed and engaged.

We are thankful to be joined by Dr. Ruth Friedman, Senior Fellow from The Century Foundation.

Dr. Ruth Friedman previously served as director of the Office of Child Care at the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration. Appointed during the pandemic, she led the Office of Child Care to rapidly and strategically deploy relief to child care programs across the country at a critical time for the sector and for families, leveraging more than $50 billion in supplemental child care funding to help keep programs open and lower child care costs for families. As director, she oversaw the administration of the Child Care and Development Fund program, the $12 billion federal program that helps families afford child care and improves the quality of care for all children, where she achieved major child care policy reforms on behalf of children, families, and child care providers. Previously, Dr. Friedman led the early learning agenda in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than a decade on behalf of Representative George Miller (D–CA), the House Education and Labor Committee, and House Democrats, including laws and initiatives on Head Start, pre-K, child care, and home visiting as well as on family poverty, child abuse, early intervention, juvenile justice, and child safety. After her time in Congress, Dr. Friedman worked as an independent consultant, providing policy, political, and child development expertise to think tanks, advocacy organizations, researchers, foundations, and other stakeholders. Dr. Friedman has a PhD in clinical psychology and an MA in public policy.