Overview
The National Study of Child Care of Low-Income Families project studied the low-income child care market in 25 communities in 17 states with a sub-study to examine the family child care market in 5 neighborhoods drawn from these communities. It provides essential information to help inform the issues surrounding subsidized childcare and its implementation by the states with particular attention to the provisions in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) over time. It examined how significant shifts in welfare policy and programs affect the childcare market for welfare recipients and the working poor at the community level.
The project had three main components. State child care policies, practices, regulations and resource allocations were examined through state plans, surveys and interviews over a three year period, charting the states' economic condition, political structure and full implementation of PRWORA. Additionally, communities were studied using a survey and other data collection techniques, such as focus groups and site observations, in order to determine what types of families used child care and child care subsidies. Also, information documenting and describing the family child care market was gathered through surveys, interviews, focus groups and observations in the child's home and care setting.
The project period is 9/30/97-9/29/07.