Did you know?

• Increasingly, children in Head Start are receiving health insurance through public programs, even though 70 percent of families had one or both parents working in 2006.
  Read CLASP’s fact sheet on Head Start programs in 2006.

  

• Three percent of children served by Title I of NCLB are below the age of school entry, but there is little reporting on the services these young children receive.
  Read more about Title I-funded early education.

  

• Six states specifically address infants and toddlers in their Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS): Colorado, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
  Read more about strengthening infant and toddler child care in all care settings.

  

• Three in four families receiving CCDBG-funded child care subsidies in 2005 had incomes below 150% of poverty, or less than $24,135. The median family income was $15,396.
  Read more about children and families who receive CCDBG.

  

• Children in food insecure families are 40% more likely than similar children in food secure families to be at developmental risk.
  Read more about how comprehensive services support poor children.

  

• On average, child care expenses comprise nearly 30 percent of a poor, working mother's family income.
  Read more key facts from Who's Minding the Kids?

  

• Infants and toddlers in non-parental child care are most likely to be cared for by a relative.
  Read more about strengthening infant and toddler child care in all care settings.

  

• Child care is the second largest use of TANF funds.
  Read a summary of the TANF final rules.

  

• Twenty-three states limit the number of children under age 2 that can be cared for in a small family child care home to 2 children.
  Read CLASP’s recommendations for promoting healthy and safe environments for infants and toddlers in child care.

  

• An increase of $874 million in FY 2009 would restore CCDBG funding to 2002 inflation-adjusted funding levels.
  Read more about how the President's proposed budget disregards investments in young children.

  

• In 2006, federal investments targeted to children comprised less than 2 percent of GDP.
  Read more about how the U.S. could invest in children, and how the President's budget disregards those sound investments.

  

• Fourteen states increase income eligibility for child care assistance when federal poverty guidelines increase; in 2007, families with incomes twice the poverty level did not qualify for assistance in 34 states.
  Read more about state child care assistance policies.

  

• In 2006, the average salary was $23,070 for all Early Head Start teachers and $25,500 for all Head Start teachers, compared to $18,820 for child care workers and $38,290 for preschool teachers in elementary and secondary schools.
  Read more about Early Head Start staff in 2006.

  

• More than half of children served in the Child Care and Development Block Grant attend center-based child care.
  Read more about the children and families that received CCDBG in 2006.

  

• The majority of Early Head Start (EHS) children who needed full-time care and used care outside EHS were in informal care.
  Read more about how states can support the quality of care for babies

  

• Forty-four percent of children under age 3 live in low-income households (under 200% of poverty).
  Read how state policies can support infants and toddlers.

  

• Only half of the children eligible for Head Start and less than 3% of infants and toddlers eligible for Early Head Start are served under current funding levels.
  Read about the new Head Start legislation.

  

• The Child Care and Development Block Grant has been nearly flat funded since 2002 and 150,000 children have lost child care assistance since 2000.
  Read about the status of child care appropriations.



• Head Start programs help children gain access to comprehensive services.
  Read about Head Start's comprehensive services specifically for children with disabilities.



• Among young children under age six, 43% have one or more risk factor for poor health and development.
  Read about how comprehensive services help at-risk families.



• Children of immigrants are less likely to attend early education programs, compared to children of U.S.-born citizens.
  Read more about the barriers immigrant families face accessing early education programs.



• TANF funds used for child care have declined for six consecutive years, from $4.0 billion in 2000 to $3.1 billion in 2006.
  See CLASP's analysis of TANF data.



• The majority of young children in immigrant families are U.S. citizens.
  Read more about immigrant families' access to early care and education.



• In 2006, 77% of Head Start teachers had an AA or higher, and 52% of Early Head Start teachers did.
  Read more about Head Start teacher qualifications.

  

• Most children receiving CCDBG-funded child care are under age 6; 28 percent are under age 3.
  Read more on CCDBG data.

• Four out of ten families with children under 6 are low-income (under 200% of poverty).
  Read more about poverty.