- Basics
As more and more women have moved from the home to the workforce (about two-thirds of women with children under six are in the labor force, and over half of these are the family’s primary wage-earner), the need for affordable, high-quality child care is critical. And the quality of care provided to a child in his or her early years can be critical to the child’s development. But provision of such care is uneven. Many low-income families cannot afford child care (expenses can range anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 a year per child). Nearly half of working families rely on family members to meet their child care needs. Each week nearly 5 million children are left unsupervised after school. And a combination of low wages and spotty state regulations undermines the quality of care where it is needed most.
The foundational child care policies are the federal Child Care Development Block Grant, which is the primary funding source for state-based child care assistance programs; Head Start, the federal-local funding stream for low-income preschool programs; and the dependent care tax credits available under the federal income tax and about half of state income tax systems. In turn, states play an important role in setting regulatory and wage standards for child care centers; funding preschool and after school programs; supplementing federal funding in support of child care assistance, Head Start and Early Head Start programs; and setting the basic guidelines (such as eligibility thresholds and reimbursement rates) for state programs.
- Current Landscape
Since the onset of the recession, both federal and state funding for early childhood programs have come under attack. Although early childhood programs were largely spared in 2011 (as the federal government and most states made commitments to sustain funding levels that had been beefed up with recovery act funds), the outlook for 2012 and beyond is bleak. States will be pressed to respond to cuts in federal block grant funding, and many have already moved pare back programs: Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, have all cut access to subsidized child care programs or the amounts they pay. Others (including New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington) have resorted to waiting lists.
- FAQ
Can we afford expansive early childhood programs?
The question is: Can we afford not to provide such services? Investments in early education help us build a smarter, healthier, and stronger America. Deficit reduction will only come from wiser investment of public dollars and data consistently shows that starting that investment early is such a wise choice. Early education ultimately lowers costs and reduces deficits by increasing academic performance, improving health outcomes, decreasing reliance on social programs, and building economic productivity. In the rush to reduce federal and state deficits, it is essential that we do not neglect the investments that bolster our economic competitiveness now and in the future. Cuts to our child care and early education programs are cuts we can't afford.
- Learn More
The leading national voices on child care policy are the Center for Law and Social Policy and the National Women’s Law Center – both of which also generate state fact sheets on patterns of provision and policy. The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies is also a good gateway for basic federal and state resources. The Center for the Child Care Workforce is best source on issues relating to the training and compensation of early childhood workers. For digests of state news and legislation, see the early childhood portals maintained by the National Conference of State Legislators and the Progressive States Network. Federal data on children’s issues is accessible through ChildStats
