Public Policy

Child care is a fact of life for millions of American families. Good quality child care helps children learn while their parents are at work. Today, nearly 12 million children under age 5 are in some type of child care arrangement every week while their parents work. On average, children of working mothers spend 36 hours every week in child care. Too often, child care is hard to find, difficult to afford, and of questionable quality. Check out NACCRRA's key legislation and background issues for information about child care and related legislation before Congress.

You can help raise the bar on quality child care throughout the United States so that parents can work and children can learn. Quality child care can play a major role in ensuring that all children start school ready to succeed. To find out more, visit NACCRRA's Action Center.

Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (CCR&Rs) are state and local organizations that work with parents, providers, and communities to improve access to quality child care for American families. Click here to find out more about CCR&Rs.

RECENT REPORTS

Leaving Children to Chance: NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Standards and Oversight of Small Family Child Care Homes

States do not have regulations in place that protect children in small family child care homes, as indicated by this report. According to the report, only one state is meeting 75 percent of the basic requirements needed to ensure that children are in care that safeguards their health and safety and promotes development and learning. Read more »

We Can Do Better: NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Child Care Center Standards and Oversight

In 2006, the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA) and the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) released the findings of their research on the child care center regulations for each of the 50 states. This information provides a rich review of the basic standards and oversight in place for child care centers. Read more »