Amanda Guarino

As Managing Director, Policy and National Partnerships, Amanda Guarino leads the development, execution, implementation, and evaluation of FFYF’s bipartisan policy position and coordination efforts. Additionally, she manages the organization’s strategic collaborations and ongoing partnerships with coalitions, campaigns, researchers, federal policymakers, and other national organizations. In her role, Ms. Guarino works to thoughtfully and proactively inform, build, and advance federal policy to strengthen and expand high-quality early learning and care opportunities for children from birth through age five. Ms. Guarino is an adept public policy expert with two decades of knowledge and expertise in early childhood education ranging from crafting legislation, government relations, federal advocacy, coalition building, program design & implementation, technical assistance, and management. She is passionate about advancing federal policy to best meet the needs of our nation’s children and families.

Ms. Guarino joined FFYF after twelve years with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she held crucial roles at the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) managing programs and initiatives that support early childhood education and development including Head Start and Child Care. After beginning her career as a Presidential Management fellow within the Child Care Bureau (now the Office of Child Care) she went on to become a Program Specialist in the Office of Head Start, and then returned to the Office of Child Care in 2010 to serve as a Management and Program Analyst. In this role she provided strategic direction, leadership, and consultation regarding the delivery of federal technical assistance activities. Throughout her federal career, Ms. Guarino worked tirelessly on various coordination activities including budget monitoring, Child Care/Head Start/Pre-K alignment initiatives, and effective communication across federal programs and intergovernmental projects.

Ms. Guarino holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the College of the Holy Cross and earned a Master of Arts (M.A.) Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Administration from Columbia University in the City of New York. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.