Expanding Child Care Subsidies Would Support Parental Work and Raise Family Incomes across the United State
Summary
Child care is a critical family need, allowing parents to work while keeping children safe and supporting their healthy development. But quality child care is expensive and difficult to find, particularly for low-income parents, who face additional challenges affording and finding care while they work.
Child care subsidies from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) can help low-income families with children younger than age 13 (or older children with special needs) pay for child care, yet the current child care system offers subsidies to only a fraction of eligible families. What if the system were funded so all families nationwide with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines (FPG) who meet the other eligibility criteria and want a subsidy receive one?
Source: Urban Institute (2019). Expanding Child Care Subsidies Would Support Parental Work and Raise Family Incomes across the United States.