2021-2027
The purpose of the Coordinated Evaluations of Child Care and Development Fund Policies and Initiative grants, also known as the Promoting Research on Subsidy Payment Rates (PROSPR) project, is to support research partnerships between CCDF Lead Agencies in states, territories, or tribes and researchers to plan and implement rigorous evaluations of policy and practices related to setting and implementing child care subsidy payment rates and/or family co-payments. Funded partnerships coordinate research questions, measurement, and analyses with the goal of learning how similar policies and initiatives may yield different effects across sites based on differences in policy, administrative practices, or targeted populations. A second major aim of the grant program is to strengthen the evaluation capacity of CCDF Lead Agencies. Partnership members take part in collaborative research activities throughout the project period that aim to support lead agencies in increasing their capacity to conduct internal research or engage in innovative analyses of administrative data.
The project is proceeding in two phases. During the Planning Phase (2021-2023), OPRE funded 10 partnerships (PDF) to develop research plans to examine the effectiveness of child care subsidy payment rate and family co-payment methods and structures on CCDF participants’ access to quality child care.
The Implementation Phase (2023-2027) will support 9 parternships (PDF) in implementing their planned evaluations on the effectiveness of child care subsidy payment rate and family co-payment policies and practices on increasing access to high quality child care. In addition, partnerships will coordinate with each other on the development of common measures and data collection protocols, identify opportunities for pooled analyses, and develop collective expertise and resources for the field.
The following ten partnerships received awards under this grant program to support the evaluation of CCDF payment policies and practices:
Grant Recipient Organization |
CCDF Lead Agency & Partners |
Project Title |
Phase(s) Funded |
Boston Children’s Hospital |
Tribal Child Care Association of California |
California Tribal Evaluation of Child Care and Developmental Fund Policies and Initiatives Implementation |
Planning & Implementation |
Child Trends, Inc. |
Child Development Division within the Vermont Agency of Human Services, Department for Children and Families |
Effects of CCDF Payment Policies on Equitable Access to High-Quality Subsidized Care in Vermont |
Planning & Implementation |
Education Development Center |
Connecticut Office of Early Childhood |
Increasing Access to Child Care and Early Education: Evaluating the Impact of Connecticut’s CCDF Subsidy Payment Policies on Provider and Family Participation |
Planning & Implementation |
Georgia State University Research Foundation, Inc. |
Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning |
The Impact of Georgia's ACCESS Initiative on Subsidized Child Care |
Planning |
Public Policy Associates (PPA) |
Michigan Department of Education, Office of Great Start |
Unequal Burdens, Unequal Access? Understanding How Administrative Burden Mediates Payment and Co-Payment Policies |
Planning & Implementation |
Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) |
California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division |
Impact of CCDF Payment Policies and Practices on Access to Child Care in California |
Planning & Implementation |
Regents of the University of Minnesota |
Minnesota Department of Human Services, Child Care Services Division |
Coordinated Evaluation of Minnesota’s Child Care Assistance Payment Policies |
Planning & Implementation |
Trustees of Boston University (Boston University School of Social Work) |
Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care |
Evaluation of the Relationship between Massachusetts’ Child Care Subsidy Payment Rate Policies and Access to Care |
Planning & Implementation |
The University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice |
Illinois Department of Human Services; Illinois Action for Children; & Center for Early Learning Funding Equity |
Compensation and Quality Contracts to CCDF Providers: Payment Policies to Improve Equitable Access to High Quality Child Care |
Planning & Implementation |
Urban Institute |
District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Early Learning |
An Evaluation of the District of Columbia’s Innovative Subsidy Policies and Practices |
Planning & Implementation |