The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) authorizes the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) program, which is the primary federal funding source for child care subsidies that help eligible working families with low incomes access child care. CCDF also aims to support the quality of care by supporting child care licensing, quality improvement systems that help programs meet higher quality standards, and training and education for the CCEE workforce.1
The 2014 CCDBG reauthorization law included new requirements for states related to health and safety, licensing, and the quality of care, creating a need for increased funding. In 2018, Congress appropriated an increase of more than $2 billion to support states and territories in meeting the goals and requirements of the 2014 CCDBG reauthorization.2 Since March 2020, Congress has allocated over $52 billion to CCDBG to stabilize child care and support working families through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CCSRA) Act; and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
While there are parameters on allowable uses, states can determine how the funds are prioritized and allocated. As a result, many states are seeking guidance on how they can track the relationship between specific CCDF policy choices and outcomes for children, families, and providers. However, determining the relationship between specific CCDF policy choices and outcomes is complex.
There have been several efforts funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) through the Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Analysis (CCEEPRA) project to explore this relationship, which inform the development of the conceptual model and analysis guide presented in this report. These efforts include the following:
Across the research activities, the case study approach emerged as an effective method to understand the effects of CCDF policy choices and outcomes for children, families, and providers. A case study approach provides the structure needed to document the unique context, goals, and complexities that exist within the larger early childhood system that state and territory CCDF policies sit within.
This brief is part of the Child Care and Early Education Policy and Research Analysis (CCEEPRA) project. CCEEPRA supports policy and program planning and decision-making with rigorous, research-based information.
1 Office of Child Care. (2022). OCC Fact Sheet. United States Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf. hhs.gov/occ/fact-sheet
2 Banghart, P., Bedrick, E. (2020). Using the access framework to guide child care policy during the COVID-19 crisis. Child Trends. https://cms.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/AccessFrameworkCCDBG_ChildTrends_ August2020.pdf
3 Forry, N. D., Daneri, P., & Howarth, G. (2013). Child care subsidy literature review. OPRE Brief 2013-60. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
4 Lin, V. K. (2020). Examining the relationship between child care subsidy policies and trends in child, family, and provider outcomes, unpublished internal memo. Child Trends.
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