Getting the facts on state child care policies

Data collection and analysis is a critical component of understanding whether early childhood systems are effectively meeting the needs of young children and their families.  For policymakers and advocates, it is important to understand the full range of child care policies in a state, including data on child care participation and expenditures, family income eligibility criteria, and provider reimbursement rates, to gain a better understanding of a state’s child care assistance program.

This week the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) released its annual report on state child care subsidy policies, State Child Care Assistance Policies 2007: Some Steps Forward, More Progress Needed. This report compiles essential data on key state child care assistance policies. NWLC finds that while states have made some progress in the last year, most states currently have policies in place that make fewer families eligible for help paying for child care than in 2001. Read more.