High-quality, affordable child care and preschool is essential for many families and their children. Child care and preschool programs help children to learn and explore, while allowing parents to find and keep jobs knowing their children are in good hands. The Budget Center examines state funding and related policies for child care and early education, including opportunities to broaden low- and middle-income families’ access to quality programs.
Child Care & Preschool
Featured
Fact Sheet
Millions of Children Are Eligible for Subsidized Child Care, but Only a Fraction Received Services in 2017
This Fact Sheet highlights the unmet need for subsidized child care in California, showing that an estimated 2 million children were eligible for care in 2017 but only 228,100 were able to participate in a subsidized full-day, full-year program.
Blog
President Trump’s Child Care Proposal: Few Benefits for Struggling Families
This analysis examines the child care proposal President Trump had issued during his campaign, highlighting how the plan strongly favors families with high incomes and would provide little benefit to lower-income families who struggle to afford child care.
Report
Enrollment in Subsidized Child Care and Development Programs Varies by Race and Ethnicity
This report examines access to subsidized child care and preschool by race and ethnicity. While the share of children in these state programs was low across all racial and ethnic groups, Asian and Latino children had the smallest share enrolled.