Giving Compass' Take:

· As the cost for child care in the US rises, family find themselves unable to afford quality care.  Here, Urban Institute explains how state policies have the power to improve access to subsidized child care.

· How can philanthropy help improve access to subsidized child care?  What factors are used to determine who is eligible for subsidization? 

· Here's how increased federal child care assistance could enhance quality of care.

Affording quality child care is a challenge for most families with parents who are working or in school.

In 2017, the average annual cost for full-time, center-based care (PDF) for a 4-year-old ranged from $4,670 in Mississippi to $18,657 in the District of Columbia. The average cost of full-time, center-based care for two children also significantly exceeded the average cost of other household expenses (PDF), such as transportation, food, health care, and even housing.

For some families, like families with a child with a disability or families experiencing homelessness, the challenges are even greater.

States can take those special circumstances into account when they set their policies under the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)—the main federal government program that funds child care subsidies. CCDF is a block grant program in which overall rules are set at the federal level, but states and territories set their specific policies within the federal guidelines.

For example, states determine which families get priority for subsidies when there isn’t enough funding available for all eligible families seeking assistance. States and territories also establish how much families have to pay out of pocket. In most states and territories, policies in both these areas take special needs into account.

Read the full article about access to subsidized child care by Kelly Dwyer, Danielle Kwon, and Kennedy Weisner at Urban Institute.