New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program 

New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) – is instrumental in keeping parents working, kids thriving, and local economies growing, it reaches less than 15% of income-eligible families. In some states, including Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Indiana, 90% of eligible children aren’t being reached due to insufficient funding. Click here for information on all 50 states. 

Below is FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling’s statement: 

“Parents need child care to go to work today. That’s never going to change: they’ll need it when they wake up tomorrow, and the day after that. CCDBG is necessary in helping parents find and afford that care, but,it’s only reaching a small fraction of the families who qualify for the program due to limited funding. 

“Our analysis shows that while the program is critical to the families it reaches, with additional investments it could benefit hundreds of thousands of additional families, young children, and in turn, local economies. Congress has long identified CCDBG as a program worthy of bipartisan support and increases. This year should be no different.”

Our analysis found:

Parents Need Access to Child Care

• 65% of children nationwide have all available parents in the workforce; in some states it is as high as 75%. 

But Due to Insufficient Federal Funding, Many Are Unable to Find and Afford High-Quality Child Care That Meets Their Needs

• On average, 33% of children under the age of 6 are eligible for a CCDBG subsidy under federal rules. However, in almost all states, less than 15% of children who are eligible for a CCDBG subsidy actually receive assistance.
  • CCDBG reaches less than 10% of eligible children in 22 states. 

CCDBG serves 961,793 children birth to age 6 each month. CCDBG makes child care far more affordable for families.

• Out-of-pocket expenses for families receiving CCDBG subsidies averaged $217 per month, far more affordable than the average price of child care without access to a subsidy. 

CCDBG is one of the essential tools the nation has to address child care needs. Investing in it could help hundreds of thousands more working families access child care.  

The federal CCDBG program benefits families in every state and Congressional district. This program enjoys widespread bipartisan support on Capitol Hill for good reason: CCDBG supports parents working, kids thriving, and local economies growing. More than two-thirds of children under the age of six have all available parents in the workforce, and millions of parents need high-quality, affordable child care. CCDBG helps ensure care is accessible for nearly 1.4 million children while their parents go to work. 

Here’s a quick snapshot of CCDBG in states: 

• In Texas, only 14% of eligible children under six are served by CCDBG due to insufficient funding levels.
• In Maine, only 12% of eligible children under six are served by CCDBG due to insufficient funding levels. 
• In Kansas, only 8% of eligible children under six are served by CCDBG due to insufficient funding levels.

Click here to see fact sheets from all 50 states and Washington, DC. 

Click here to see the First Five Things to Know about CCDBG. 

Click here to see how CCDBG funding goes from Congress to families.