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Provides clarification about the use of CCDF funds for research and evaluation; and
Encourages States, Territories and Tribes to evaluate subsidy policies and quality initiatives as a means to improve program performance, inform policy decisions, and effectively target available child care funds.
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the primary federal funding source dedicated to providing child care assistance to low-income families. As a block grant, CCDF gives funding to states, territories, and tribes to provide child care subsidies through vouchers or certificates to low-income families, and grants and contracts with providers in some states. CCDF provides access to child care services for low-income families so parents can work, attend school, or enroll in training. Additionally, CCDF promotes the healthy development of children by improving the quality of early learning and afterschool experiences. In November 2014, Congress acted on a bipartisan basis to pass the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 (Public Law (Pub.L.) 113-186) into law and reauthorized the CCDF program through fiscal year (FY) 2020. In September 2016, the Office of Child Care (OCC) within the Department of Health and Humans Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published a CCDF final rule (81 F.R. 67438) to provide clarity to states, territories, and tribes on how to implement the CCDBG Act.
This Information Memorandum provides guidance to Lead Agencies implementing provisions of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 to increase the supply of high-quality child care. States should consider these strategies as they prepare their Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) State plans.
Program Instruction CCDF-ACF-PIQ-2011-01: A number of questions have arisen from Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) Lead Agencies concerning the establishment of policies that require child care providers serving children receiving subsidies to meet certain quality requirements, such as a specified rating level of a quality improvement system, and how those policies interact with CCDF parental choice requirements.
Program Instruction CCDF-ACF-PI-2011-03: Program Instruction guidance for the Revised State/Territory required Plan Preprint (ACF-118) for the CCDF program for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 biennium.