The Stories Behind the Issues

Parents are calling for safe, affordable, quality child care. Here's why...

Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Major Issues for Reform:

Background Checks

The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which allocates funds to states for child care and sets the framework that guides states in enacting legislation, does not require background checks for child care providers even though most parents assume that background checks are required for licensed care.

Learn more about background check requirements for child care centers and family child care homes.

• Click to find out what is checked for individuals working in a child care center.
• Click to find out who and what is checked in your state for those operating a family child care home.

Hear from Parents on Background Checks

• Texas: Avonda Fox  (Pushed for and won passage of Jacob's Law in Texas)
• Georgia: Osa Benson (fighting for tougher laws in Georgia)
• Indiana:  Casey Williams (fighting for tougher laws in Indiana)

  Parent Perspectives: What do parents think about the quality of care?

Health and Safety

Federal law requires that states have policies in place to protect the health and safety of children in child care in only three areas:

• The prevention and control of infectious diseases
• Building and physical premise safety
• Health and safety training appropriate to the program setting

Learn more about health and safety requirements for child care centers and family child care homes.

Hear from Parents on Health and Safety

• California:  Mary Beth Phillips, whose infant daughter was violently shaken by a child care provider, leaving her daughter blind
• California: Nathan Salomonis and Heather Myers, whose infant son died in a child care center
• Georgia:  Le’Vaughn Johnson whose infant son died in a licensed family child care home
• Idaho:   Brandi Whaley whose infant was violently shaken by a child care provider
• Kansas:  Kim and Bryan Engelman and Alecia and Steve Patrick whose toddlers died in family child care homes
• Missouri:  Shelly Blecha, Hannah Pratt, and Jen Wright who are fighting in Missouri for more protections for children
• Ohio: Lawrence Hall  whose infant died in a family child care home
• Pennsylvania: Vicky Dougherty  whose toddler died in an unsafe crib at a family child care home
• Virginia: Betsy Cummings whose infant died in a license-exempt child care center
• Parent Polling on Health & Safety
• Connecticut Study on Health & Safety Compliance (Analysis of Inspection Findings)

Budget/ Access, Affordability

Child care is expensive. In 36 states, the annual cost of child care for an infant in a center exceeds the cost of college. Most families, not just low income families, struggle to afford the cost of child care.  Yet, only one out of every six children eligible for child care assistance receives it.

Learn more about Child Care funding and the federal budget and about the cost of child care.

Hear from Parents on Budget and Access

• Alaska:  Chris Murray  who works in shifts at opposite times as his wife to avoid the high cost of child care
• Arkansas: Ben Hammond, a father of three young children who struggles with the cost of care
• California: Clarissa Doutherd a mother of a preschool-age child who can't find affordable child care
• Minnesota:  Katie Olson, a mother of two young children struggling to find affordable care on the White Earth Indian Reservation
• New Jersey: Lian Ferguson, a mother of a preschool-age child fighting for affordable, quality care in New Jersey
• New York:  Heather McShane and Saima Akhtar, mothers fighting for affordable, quality care in New York
• Tennessee:  Rebecca and Timmy Dyal, fighting for affordable, quality child care in Tennessee
• Virginia:  Susana Coro, a mother of two young children who testified before a U.S. Senate Committee

Additional Child Care Related Issues:

Quality Infant and Toddler Care

• Visit our Quality Matters page for more information related to infant and toddler care.

Rural Child Care

• White Paper: "Child Care in Rural America: Top Challenges" (July 2010)
• For more information about challenges with rural child care, please visit the Policy Library and Recent Reports page

Children and Disasters

• Disaster Planning, Response and Recovery recommendations for child care
• Protecting Children in Child Care During Emergencies is a comprehensive report about recommendations for policymakers and community leaders to better serve and address the needs of children in child care.

Children and Nutrition

• Click here for a collection of parent and child care provider stories about the importance of the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
• Learn more information on the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Homeless Children

• S. 3476, the Improving Access to Child Care for Homeless Families Act Introduced by Senator Murray (D-WA)
• For more information about what you can do to end child homelessness, check out the Campaign to End Child Homelessness.
• Check out additional data on children and families living in poverty.