Initial Effects of Child Care Reauthorization

2017 - 2020

Funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), this project aims to produce early findings about how the 2014 reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act has affected markets and how states have approached implementation of reauthorization in different ways. The project includes a policy analysis, literature scan, roundtable with stakeholders from the child care field, and analysis of state Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) investments in child care quality improvements.

The project aims to answer the following two questions:

  • How have the major new CCDF policy requirements (e.g., health and safety inspections,12-month redetermination periods, consumer education, etc.) affected state systems and the experiences of child care providers and the children and families they serve?
  • How are CCDF quality investments used to improve the quality of child care? What trends are observed in areas of investment, in particular since the 2014 CCDBG reauthorization?

Activities so far include a framing paper, with a literature review and policy analysis, and a roundtable discussion with experts and state staff to discuss the 2014 Reauthorization.

This contract is awarded a contract to MEF Associates with a subcontract to Child Trends.

The point of contact is Meryl Barofsky.

Related Resources

A primary goal of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 is to encourage states and territories to improve families’ access to child care and early education (CCEE)The purpose of this resource is to assist CCEE leaders in using maps to understand and improve CCEE access.

Explore how State and Territory Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) grantees planned and reported their investments in quality activities and how they measured progress to improve quality.

This paper 1) provides an overview of the existing literature on provider and family experiences with the child care market and subsidy system, 2) summarizes an analysis of state policies and approaches to implementing CCDF policy changes, and 3) reports on themes discussed at a roundtable convening of key child care stakeholders held in July, 2019.