National Organization Provides Snapshots of State Child Care Landscape

ARLINGTON, Va., July 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Child Care Aware^® of America, the nation's leading voice for child care, today announced the release of its annual State Fact Sheets, Checking In: A Snapshot of the Child Care Landscape – 2017 Report, which profile child care indicators across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. This annual report compiles data from local and state child care resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs), other state agencies, and other federal and national data sets to report on the use, supply, and cost of child care, the child care workforce, and the services provided by CCR&Rs.

The reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in 2014 represented an enormous step forward in establishing access to quality, affordable child care for all children and families. In the last 6 months, the nation has faced the possibility of drastic cuts to early care programs, education, and social services, highlighting the importance of having data that helps make the case for accessible, quality, affordable child care. Child Care Aware^® of America's 2017 State Fact Sheets provide important data to better understand America's working families and the circumstances they face. As such, it is a critical tool for child care advocates, policymakers, and program administrators to guide decision-making about child care programs and costs.

"Our goal is for the State Fact Sheets to continue to serve as an influential resource and tool for policymakers as important decisions are made concerning child care," says Lynette M. Fraga, Ph. D., Executive Director of Child Care Aware^® of America. "Research shows that quality early care and learning settings play a vital role in the development of children and have a lasting impact. In support of thriving children, families, and communities, it is critical that we advocate for what is needed for quality child care."

Over the past several years, Child Care Aware^® of America has surveyed and conducted focus groups with parents of young children, grandparents, national child advocacy organizations, and state and local CCR&Rs. Those conversations underscored that child care is an essential building block of any community and that investments in child care are investments in our children, our economy, and our future. From our work we have repeatedly confirmed that:

• child care is expensive for all families,
• child care is both a workforce support and an important early learning setting,
• quality of care varies widely,
• child care providers need to receive adequate training,
• child care providers should be paid a livable wage, and
• child care needs to be accessible to diverse populations reflecting the children, families, and communities they serve.

Quality, affordable early childhood programs across the nation are both difficult to find and afford. Through CCDBG, state programs are now tasked with increasing the quality of their programs; however, there is still much work to be done.  

The 2017 State Fact Sheets provide data critical to child care and early education advocates, policymakers, and program administrators. The State Fact Sheets can help the child care stakeholder community with the necessary data to better understand the challenges that America's working families face as they strive to provide their children with care that is safe, healthy, and promotes quality learning and development.

To download a copy of the 2017 State Fact Sheets, visit http://usa.childcareaware.org/statefactsheets.

About Child Care Aware^® of America
Child Care Aware^® of America is our nation's leading voice for child care. CCAoA works with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) and other community partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. CCAoA leads projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake research, and advocate for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit usa.childcareaware.org. Follow them on Twitter @USAChildCare and on Facebook at facebook.com/usachildcare.

SOURCE Child Care Aware of America

Related Links

http://usa.childcareaware.org