Child Care Assistance Policies in States Receiving Early Learning Challenge Grants

The Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge fund, a competitive grant program jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, aims to help states strengthen their early learning systems.  The goal of the initiative is to increase access to high-quality early learning programs, especially for low-income children.  The nine states awarded a total of $500 million in grants—California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington—were successful because they developed comprehensive, collaborative strategies for achieving this goal.  However, these states have several gaps in their child care assistance policies, leaving many low-income families without the help they need paying for reliable, high-quality child care.  By addressing these gaps as part of their strategies to bolster their early learning systems, the states can expand low-income children’s access to the high-quality early care and learning programs that nurture their successful development. 

Click below to download summaries of the nine states' child care assistance policies.

Click here to view the full 2011 State Child Care Assistance report.

Document(s):

Summary: Child Care Assistance Policies in States Receiving Early Learning Challenge Grants

Tables: Child Care Assistance Policies in States Receiving Early Learning Challenge Grants