Join Us at STAM 2026!

The Office of Child Care (OCC) announces the 2026 Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State and Territory Administrators Meeting (STAM 2026) taking place between July 21-24 in Reston, Virginia.

STAM 2026 will provide an array of opportunities to connect with other state lead agencies, hear pertinent updates from OCC leadership and staff, and learn from presentations by subject-matter experts and technical assistance specialists. Below you will find details about the meeting schedule, agenda, recommended participants, and travel logistics.

Meeting Schedule

STAM 2026 proceedings will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, July 21st, and will conclude by 5:00 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 23rd. The meeting will open with a plenary featuring remarks and updates from Administration for Children and Families Assistant Secretary Alex Adams and OCC Director Wendy Horman, and it will include a mix of plenary sessions, breakouts, and a significant amount of time dedicated to peer-to-peer discussions.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, we will be joined by Head Start Collaboration Directors for a joint day of programming. This will provide an exciting opportunity to highlight opportunities for coordination in the early care space.   

On Friday, July 24th, OCC will host a by-invitation-only meeting for territory CCDF administrators and staff members that will begin at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) and conclude by 1:00 p.m. (EDT).

Draft Agenda and Discussion Topics

A draft agenda is available in the navigation bar above. More details will be added to the agenda in late June. The draft STAM 2026 agenda includes the following topics:

  • Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention
  • CCDF Administrator Training and Tools
  • Consumer Education
  • Data and IT
  • Fiscal Strategies
  • Innovations in Quality
  • Licensing, Health, Safety, and Comprehensive Background Checks
  • Supply-Building and Parental Choice
  • Support for the Workforce

Proposed presentation and breakout session discussion topics include: 1) information about new and clarified policies; 2) strategies states have used in implementation of CCDF policies; 3) technical assistance tools and resources to support implementation; and 4) considerations relevant to the implementation of CCDF policies, such as program integrity and coordination with partners across child care systems. We also anticipate presentations and small group discussions about preparing to develop 2028-2030 CCDF Plans and the disbursement of disaster funding.

Recommended Participants

State and territory administrators are strongly encouraged to bring a team to STAM 2026. Please review the proposed agenda and topics list and consider participants who work closely on CCDF program administration tasks, particularly program integrity (e.g., subsidy managers, licensing leads, fiscal staff, and state/territory partners who work with you on CCDF administration) and work related to disaster funding.

 We look forward to seeing you at STAM 2026. 

 

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