This year’s fact sheets demonstrate the need for and use of quality child care as a nation, and highlights the complex and changing early care and education landscape; one inconsistent in programs provided, funding, regulations, and a fragmented child care workforce.
“Our fact sheets offer the child care advocacy community the opportunity to identify state issue areas that are critical to supporting working families in need of quality child care.” said Lynette Fraga, Ph.D., executive director of Child Care Aware® of America.
Approximately 2.2 million individuals earn a living caring for children under age five. Despite the tremendous responsibilities and duties that go into caring for young children, the average income for a full-time child care professional in 2014 was only $21,710.
The 2015 State Fact Sheets provide data critical to child care and early education advocates, policymakers, and program administrators. The fact sheets can help the child care stakeholder community with the necessary data to better understand the challenges that America’s working families face as they strive to provide their children with care that is safe, healthy, and promotes quality learning and development.
Although child care in America can be hard to find and difficult to afford for working families, some progress has been made. In November 2014, President Barack Obama signed S.1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 into law. The new law includes several measures focused on health, safety and quality.
The fact sheets will be used to guide decisions around child care programs and expenditures at the state level.
For more information on the CCDBG program that serves approximately 1.45 million children across the country, visit the Child Care Aware® of America CCDBG Implementation Station: http://usa.childcareaware.org/ccdbg.
To download a copy of the 2015 State Fact Sheets, visit http://usa.childcareaware.org/statefactsheets.
About Child Care Aware of America
Child Care Aware of America is our nation’s leading voice for child care. We work with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs) and other community partners to ensure that all families have access to quality, affordable child care. To achieve our mission, we lead projects that increase the quality and availability of child care, offer comprehensive training to child care professionals, undertake research, and advocate for child care policies that improve the lives of children and families. To learn more, visit usa.child careaware.org. Follow us on Twitter @USAChildcare and on Facebook at facebook.com/usachildcare.