Child Care Assistance for Working Families
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Child care makes it possible for parents to go to work and support their families. But for many, the price of child care puts safe, high-quality child care out of reach and deeply strains family budgets. Through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the federal government supports states in helping families with the cost of care. Eligible families can participate in their state subsidy program, which helps- if they can find a participating provider and if the amount is enough for the going rate of child care in the area.
ECEC, along with the entire child care provider community, is concerned about the current subsidy system. Subsidy rates in many states are far below the cost of providing child care, making it difficult (and in some cases impossible) for families to access child care and for providers to make business ends meet. ECEC works with partner organizations to raise awareness about these issues and advocates for child care subsidy policies that make sense for child care providers and for families.
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ECEC Resources
Resources and Reports
Background
ECEC Resources
Child Care Assistance for Working Parents
ECEC Policy Brief
Resources and Reports
Promising State Child Care Quality and Infant/Toddler Initiatives
National Women's Law Center, April 2011
States and communities are working to address the shortage of high-quality child care and improve the quality of care through a number of promising strategies, with the help of federal funding.
Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation in 2009
Center for Law and Social Policy, January 2011
Based on preliminary data from the Child Care Bureau, this fact sheet provides a snapshot of participation in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program in 2009.
State Child Care Assistance Policies 2010
National Women’s Law Center, September 2010
The National Women’s Law Center’s seventh annual analysis of state child care policies notes that states largely held off major cuts as of February 2010, with help from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds. The report is based on a survey of state child care administrators in all 50 states and DC of income eligibility, waiting lists, parent copayments, and reimbursement rates. The report includes state-by-state information as well as a comparison to policies in place in previous years.
Adopting 12-Month Subsidy Eligibility
Center for Law and Social Policy, October 2010
States have a great deal of flexibility in setting child care policies to promote access to child care assistance. A number of states are considering changing subsidy rules to allow for 12-month eligibility, while others have recently changed their policies. CLASP notes in their report that adopting 12-month subsidy eligibility, with limited interim reporting requirements, is one strategy states can implement to promote sustained access to subsidies and continuous care arrangements for children.
Child Care Assistance: A Program that Works
Center for Law and Social Policy, January 2009
Child care is a program that works. Research shows that child care assistance makes a significant difference in the economic health and security of families. It helps families sustain their participation in the workforce, reduce instability in care arrangements that can impact work, and move out of poverty.
The Vision for Child Care: A National Agenda
ECEC has worked with national and state organizations dedicated to improving the quality of our nation's child care in developing a national agenda for child care. This "Vision" would expand families' access to high-quality learning opportunities for their children and help ensure all children are cared for in child care settings that enhance their readiness for and success in school.
Background
Child Care Assistance Income Eligibility Thresholds for a Family of Three
National Child Care Information Center
State Market Rate Surveys
National Child Care Information Center
Child Care and Development Block Grant Participation
Center for Law and Social Policy (November 2008)
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