What is CCDF Reauthorization?
The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act is the law (along with Section 418 of the Social Security Act) that authorizes the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)1 which is the primary Federal funding source devoted to providing low-income families that are working or participating in education and training with help paying for child care and improving the quality of child care for all children. The CCDF program helps fund child care assistance for over 1.4 million children each month throughout the United States, U.S. Territories and Tribal communities. In addition, the investments in quality benefit millions more children by building the skills and qualifications of the teacher workforce, supporting child care programs to achieve higher standards, and providing consumer education to help parents select child care that meets their families’ needs.
On November 19, 2014, President Obama signed bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes the CCDBG Act through 2020. The new law makes many important statutory changes focused on strengthening child care in this country to better support the success of two generations. Research has demonstrated that access to stable high quality child care can promote school readiness and success for children, employment for parents, and economic security for families.
1 The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 (Pub.L. 104-193) consolidated funding for child care under section 418 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 618) and made such funding subject to the requirements of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 1990, as amended. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) subsequently designated the combined mandatory and discretionary funding streams as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program.