As Congress negotiates the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations package, another year of level funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) would result in more children losing access to child care, with estimates that 24,000 fewer children will have access to child care through CCDBG in FY26. The compounded impact of two years…

On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 into law. The law decreased nondefense spending by $13 billion but kept spending levels the same as fiscal year (FY) 2024 for many programs, including the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Even though these programs may…

The primary mission of the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education (IAAE) is to increase awareness, recognition and support of policies, practices and partnerships that ensure and advance quality arts education for all Iowans. The Iowa Alliance for Arts Education's "Model of Excellence Mentoring Program" is an integral part of the programming…

Federal budget proposals currently under consideration threaten resources available for children and families through multiple key programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs. These programs are vital supports for families with low incomes throughout the country and…

This report analyzes variations in eligibility and access to Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) subsidies in 2020. State decisions on implementation within the CCDBG program, along with historically insufficient federal and state funding, limit parents' access to child care assistance. We analyze state-level Administration for Children…

In 2019, approximately 91,000 child care and early education (CCEE) providers cared for one or more young children in a home-based child care (HBCC) setting and were "listed" by state or local CCEE agencies (National Survey of Early Care and Education [NSECE] Project Team 2021). Listed HBCC providers experience three predominant CCEE…

The Trump administration may push for a shift away from the current formula-driven federal K-12 education funding toward more flexible block grants -- part of a broader effort to significantly scale back the U.S. Department of Education and direct more education policy decision-making to the states. If Congress authorizes this new flexibility,…

In 2019, approximately 91,000 child care and early education (CCEE) providers cared for one or more young children in a home-based child care (HBCC) setting and were "listed" by state or local CCEE agencies (National Survey of Early Care and Education [NSECE] Project Team 2021). Listed HBCC providers experience three predominant CCEE…

This hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions examines cutting childcare and preschool costs for working families. Opening statements were presented by: (1) Honorable Patty Murray chair, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; and (2) Honorable Richard Burr, Ranking Member, a U.S. Senator from the State of…

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal program that provides funding for states to implement and administer cash assistance to families who meet eligibility and work requirements, as well as provides funds for a wide range of other activities like education and training activities (US DHHS, 2023). TANF is funded by a block…

This technical report accompanies the "Listed Home-Based Child Care Providers and Child Care and Early Education Policies Series." This series of three research briefs presents findings from the first nationally representative analysis of the patterns and predictors of listed home-based child care (HBCC) providers' interactions with…

While policymakers have demonstrated considerable enthusiasm for "science of reading" initiatives, the evidence on the impact of related reforms when implemented at scale is limited. In this pre-registered, quasi-experimental study, we examine California's recent initiative to improve early literacy across the state's lowest-performing…

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014 and the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Final Rule approved in 2016 outlined major policy changes in four areas: (1) health and safety; (2) consumer education; (3) equal access to high-quality care for children in families with low-incomes; and (4) quality improvement and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated how critical child care is for families while also highlighting and exacerbating the existing inequities in the sector. Even as schools are beginning to reopen, continued investment in school-age care is essential to meet families' needs and address the long-standing inequities that children, families, and…

This non-regulatory guidance is intended to assist State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) in understanding and implementing programs under Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to conduct a range of activities to provide teachers, principals, and other school leaders with the…