“State Child Care Assistance Policies 2009: Most states hold the line, but some lose ground in hard times”
The report discusses the results of a study on funding for state child care assistance programs conducted from February 2008 to February 2009. According to the findings, the majority of states during this time did not make changes to key child policy areas, and those few that did so made cuts rather than improvements. Many states fell further behind in one or more policy areas since 2001, leaving many low-income families unable to receive adequate child care assistance.
The report also outlines how some states plan to use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides an additional $2 billion for child care assistance programs. It argues that child care is necessary for both early childhood development and a stronger workforce, and it must remain affordable to ease financial strain on low-income families.
The study was conducted by the National Women’s Law Center and published in late September, 2009. It is based on four key child policy areas: income eligibility limits for child care assistance, waiting lists for assistance, reimbursement rates for child care providers serving families receiving assistance and copayments required of parents receiving assistance.
