The 2023 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap identifies child care subsidies as one of the most effective policies at improving child and family well-being and the health of the workforce and economy. The Roadmap tracks state
Early in her career, Cynthia Osborne learned that the pathway to opportunity is paved by much more than a quality education. In 1994, a few years after graduating from college, Osborne began teaching middle school
Throughout the nation, states are struggling to keep their child care industries afloat. Decades of underinvestment and a global pandemic threatened a near-total collapse of the system, held off only by temporary pandemic-era funding that
Child care subsidy programs provide financial assistance to help make child care more affordable for families who have low incomes. This assistance enables family members to participate in the workforce and pursue educational goals. Rigorous
In some states, a parent working a full-time minimum wage job can obtain a subsidy and comfortably afford child care. In other states, especially in a locality without enough subsidized slots, almost all of that
12 EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP CHILDREN THRIVE The prenatal to age 3 (PN-3) period is the most rapid and sensitive period of development, and it sets the foundation for long-term health and wellbeing. The science
CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES WHAT ARE CHILD CARE SUBSIDIES AND WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? Child care subsidy programs provide financial assistance to help make child care more affordable for families with low incomes in which the
Effective policies and strategies to impact this goal include: Child Care Subsidies Comprehensive Screening and Connection Programs Expanded Income Eligibility for Health Insurance Group Prenatal Care Paid Family Leave Reduced Administrative Burden for SNAP Community-Based
Demand for subsidized child care slots is already very high. State subsidy programs simply do not meet the need. In many states, families are left lingering on waiting lists—unable to work or forced to use
