Child Care Subsidies
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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.
News and Reports
“Parents endure child-care waiting list”
Philadelphia Inquirer, May 28, 2008
State Child Care Assistance Policies 2007
National Women’s Law Center, September 2007
The National Women’s Law Center’s annual analysis of state child care policies reveals that in general states made modest progress in regards to income eligibility limits and waiting lists; however many states continue to fall short in the areas of parent co-payments and “virtually no progress” was made in reimbursement rates for child care providers.
Keeping the Promise: A Study of the Massachusetts Child Care Voucher System
Bessie Tartt Wilson Children’s Foundation, February 2006 and May 2008
In 2006 the Bessie Tartt Wilson Children's Foundation completed a study which led to several statewide policy changes, including increasing the voucher certification period to one year – an impact that affected 52,000 children and families. The follow-up study looks at the impact of these changes.
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
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