Associated Press

For parents who need to work but can’t afford the steep cost of child care, federally funded scholarships can be a lifeline. Delivered through state child care assistance programs, the scholarships can mean the difference between a parent working full time — or not at all.

But qualified families increasingly are being turned away, thanks to the rising costs of child care and the end of pandemic-era funds, and some families that had scholarships have seen them end. In three states — Arizona, Colorado and Texas — parents who apply face long waitlists. Other states, including Nevada and Oklahoma, have increased copayments for parents or have said they will serve fewer children, according to the advocacy group Child Care Aware of America. In Idaho, enrollment was paused for part of last year.

Read the full article. 

Arlington, VA—Today, Child Care Aware of America® released its groundbreaking new position statement: Making States and Communities Child Care Strong: The Role of Child Care Resource & Referral Organizations designed to elevate the critical role of child care resource and referral organizations (CCR&Rs) by clarifying the essential services they provide, defining what effective CCR&Rs look like, and offering actionable strategies for policymakers, administrators, business leaders, and CCR&Rs themselves to work together to strengthen child care systems nationwide. 

Washington, D.C. – With news that the Office of Management and Budget has issued a freeze on funding for federal programs, Susan Gale Perry, Chief Executive Officer at Child Care Aware of America, issued the following statement: 

Arlington, VA (Jan. 15, 2025)—Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) today announces that Dr. Rajiv Suri and Kim McDougal have joined the organization’s board of directors, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

NBC News

Many families have been effectively cutting a second rent check to send their kids to day care, according to new data from the Department of Labor.

Business Insider

Cities and counties across the US are coming up with ways to make childcare more affordable — and many are turning to taxes.

Colorado has a policy that allows taxpayers who donate to qualifying child care facilities and programs to claim an income tax credit equal to 50% of their contribution.

To be sure, local tax revenue cannot replace funding for America's whole childcare system. Anne Hedgepeth, the senior vice president of policy and research at the advocacy organization Child Care Aware of America, told BI in an email statement that local policies are a complement larger state-level and federal funding pools.

"Additional funding is paramount to building a strong child care system," she said. "And it is positive to see localities interested in supporting their child care systems and taking action."

Read the full article.

NPR

Child care was on the ballot in several cities and counties across the country.

In Austin, Texas, where voters weighed whether to raise property taxes, advocates noted that a year of child care costs more than a year of tuition at the University of Texas at Austin.

In Sonoma County, Calif., where a new sales tax was on the ballot, a year of infant care can cost more than a year at the University of California, Berkeley. And still, demand is high. A report found the pandemic had decimated the county's child care workforce to such a degree that it was left with just over half of the child care slots it once had.

Meanwhile, in a statement early Wednesday, the advocacy group Child Care Aware of America, urged the incoming Trump administration and Congress to work toward broader solutions.

"The American people have resoundingly called for — both before and during the election cycle — affordable, accessible, quality child care solutions," wrote the organization's CEO Susan Gale Perry.

Read the full article. 

Washington, D.C. – On Sept. 30, federal relief funding for child care expired. In recent years, several states expanded eligibility, improved affordability, and made other changes to their child care policies, funded in part by COVID-19 relief dollars.