To advance equity in child care access for families with infants and toddlers, federal and state policymakers must boost funding dedicated to helping them afford it.
"The CLASP report calls for federal and state programs, including Head Start, to collect discipline data on publicly funded centers and track disparities by race and ethnicity."
While CLASP applauds the passage of the FY2023 omnibus spending package with increased investments in key child care and early education programs, it leaves out other crucial investments in programs that also support families with low incomes.
For far too long, the lack of funding for the child care sector has led to significant tradeoffs resulting in inequitable policies and limited access for families who need it the most.
Alyssa Fortner highlights the value of increasing income eligibility limits for child care assistance and how states have done so using COVID-19 relief funds.