On Friday, August 11 from 2-3:30 pm EDT, the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development (IAWGCD) will host a meeting on childcare cooperatives. Childcare co-ops are the third topic in a lineup of Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development meetings to take place this summer and fall. Please see all meeting dates, times, links and recordings below. 

Join the August 11 meeting

Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development meetings are kicked off by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development leadership. A panel of private sector representatives then describes the needs of the relevant cooperative sector. A second panel of Federal government representatives follows, discussing how current programs can meet the needs of cooperatives and brainstorming ideas for additional solutions. Each meeting provides an opportunity for robust discussion and participant engagement. 

The Interagency Working Group meetings occur as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill mandate that the Agriculture Secretary “chair an interagency working group to foster cooperative development and ensure coordination with federal agencies and… cooperative organizations.” 7 U.S.C. section 1932(e)(12) 

National Farmers Union advocates for fairer, more equitable food and agricultural system at annual fly-in

This week on Everything Co-op, Hall of Fame Inductee Sheldon Petersen shares his co-op journey

Upcoming Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development Meetings

Childcare Cooperatives

Friday, August 11; 2-3:30 pm EDT

• Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Real Estate Cooperatives

Friday, September 15; 2-3:30 pm EDT

• Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

Envisioning an Equitable Cooperative Ecosystem

Friday, October 13; 2-3:30 pm EDT

• Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

If you missed the IAWGCD meeting on Housing Cooperatives, a recording of the webinar can be viewed here. A recording of the IAWGCD meeting on Cooperatives in the Food Chain will be uploaded in the coming weeks. 

For more information about this meeting series, please email coopinfo@usda.gov. To learn more about the Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development, visit the IAWGCD Official Website.