Washington, D.C.—Earlier this month, the federal administration finalized a rule that rolls back several child care policies put in place in 2024, including a cap on family copayments, enrollment-based and prospective provider payments, and requirements to direct some funding to providers through grants and contracts to support underserved communities. States retain the flexibility and choice to implement these policies to keep copayments low, pay providers on time and based on enrollment, and direct funding where families and providers need it most.
"Families and providers in states across the country are counting on state leaders to keep moving forward," said Susan Gale Perry, Chief Executive Officer of Child Care Aware® of America. "This rule gives states flexibility; it does not give them a reason to stop doing what works."
States have always been the backbone of the child care system. They shape it, fund it, and determine whether families can access and afford care. The research is clear: high prices make it hard for parents to access child care and providers who are paid late and unpredictably struggle to stay open. That hasn't changed.
Child Care Aware® of America urges state leaders to stay the course—keep copayments low, pay providers fairly and on time, and invest in the communities that need it most.
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About Child Care Aware® of America
Child Care Aware® of America is the only national organization with an on-the-ground network that supports every part of the child care system. Every day our network is working to turn a patchwork of resources into a system that helps families work, supports children’s healthy development and learning, and keeps our economy growing. Together, we can make America child care strong—and that makes everyone stronger.
