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Income supports

Income supports

State Policy Progress on Child Care Subsidies in 2025

High-quality and reliable child care is a vital resource for families and communities, often determining parents’ ability to work or pursue education or training—all avenues that could help them provide for their families. However, the

State Policy Progress on Earned Income Tax Credits in 2025

State earned income tax credits (EITCs) provide financial support to low and moderate-income families, offering relief that can reduce poverty and improve economic stability. Research shows that access to supports such as EITCs can lead

Child Care: From Market Failure to Strategic Investment

High-quality child care is an essential service that benefits children, families, and the economy. However, rising costs and fragmented workforce structures are contributing to an overall market failure. Many families are finding reliable care to

State Policies to Promote Employer-Supported Child Care

Research suggests that the high cost of child care can lead many parents to limit their participation in the workforce, resulting in negative repercussions for families and the economy. Though increased public investment is needed

Approaches to Improving Early Educators’ Compensation

Early educators remain among the most underpaid workers in the nation despite playing a critical role in child development and enabling workforce participation for parents. Across the country, the median wage for early educators is

The Impact of State Minimum Wage Increases

In the 20 states where the minimum wage is set at the federal level of $7.25 per hour, full-time workers earning the minimum wage are paid well below the federal poverty line, making it difficult

A Tale of Two States: The Impact of State Policy Choices on Family Resources

Since the release of our 2020 Prenatal-to-3 State Policy Roadmap, every state has increased their investment in at least one effective Roadmap policy, but the choices they have made vary considerably.  The distinct choices that

State Policy Lever Checklist: State Child Tax Credit

Research is clear that money matters for children’s wellbeing and achievement. Greater income allows parents to better meet children’s basic needs, and financial stability can reduce parental stress. State child tax credits (CTCs) provide one

State Child Tax Credits: A Promising Policy to Improve Child Outcomes 

Ever since the successful temporary expansion of the federal child tax credit (CTC) in 2021, state CTCs have become an increasingly common state policy to support families’ economic stability. Prior to the expansion, only 6

Cash Transfers: A Proven Strategy to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

Research has shown that birth through age 3 is the period of a child’s most rapid and sensitive development, and studies have proven that when a family encounters financial hardship during a child’s early years,

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