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Early Childhood Profile

HealthEarly Care and EducationParenting and Economic Supports

State Choices to Promote Access

Monthly child care co-payment fees as a percent of income for a family of three with one child in care, 2010

Monthly child care co-payment fees as a percent of income for a family of three with one child in care, 20101

  • Set the income eligibility limit for child care subsidies at or above 200% FPL. [2010]2
    A family of three is eligible up to $32,958, or 180% FPL. This is an increase from 173% FPL in 2009.
  • Child care subsidy reimbursement rate meets the recommended 75th percentile of the market rate for two consecutive years [2010]3
  • Redetermine the eligibility for child care subsidies no more than once per year [2010]3
    Eligibility redetermined every six months.
  • Supplement Early Head Start with state or other federal funds. [2008]4
  • Fund a pre-kindergarten program and/or supplement Head Start. [2010]5
    $700,000 for pre-kindergarten and $1,000,000 for Head Start

State Choices to Promote Quality

  • Require one adult for every 8 4-year-olds, and a maximum class size of 16 in child care centers. [2008]6
    Child care regulations require one adult for every 10 children, and the maximum class size is 20.
  • Require one adult for every four 18-month-olds, and a maximum class size of eight in child care centers. [2008]6
    Child care regulations require one adult for every 6 children, and the maximum class size is 12.
  • Allocate state or federal funds for a network of infant/toddler specialists that provide assistance to child care providers. [2010]7
  • Have early learning standards or developmental guidelines for infants and toddlers. [2010]8
  • Have an infant/toddler credential. [2010]9
  • Require through regulation that infants and toddlers in child care centers be assigned a consistent primary caregiver. [2008]6
  • Have implemented a statewide Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) [2010]10
HealthParenting and Economic Supports

Data Notes and Sources

Last Updated: September 26, 2011

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  1. Schulman, Karen; Blank, Helen. 2010. State Child Care Assistance Policies 2010: New Federal Funds Help States Weather The Storm. National Women's Law Center. Accessed November 3, 2010, from www.nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/statechildcareassistancepoliciesreport2010.pdf
  2. Schulman, Karen; Blank, Helen. 2010. State Child Care Assistance Policies 2010: Most States Hold the Line, But Some Lose Ground in Hard Times. National Women's Law Center.http://www.nwlc.org (accessed Oct. 18, 2010).
  3. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. 2010. Report of State and Territory Plans, FY 2010 - 2011. http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov (Accessed February 23, 2010)
  4. Schumacher, Rachel; DiLauro, Elizabeth. 2008. Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and their Families. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy and Zero to Three Policy Center.
  5. Barnett, W. Steven; Epstein, Dale J.; Friedman, Allison H.; Carolan, Megan E.; Fitzgerald, Jen; Ackerman, Debra J. 2010. The State of Preschool 2010. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research. http://nieer.org (accessed August 2, 2011).
  6. National Association for Regulatory Administration and the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. 2010.The 2008 Child Care Licensing Study: Final Report. http://www.naralicensing.org (accessed August 16, 2010).
  7. National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative. 2010. Infant/Toddler Specialist Network Fact Sheet . http://nitcci.nccic.acf.hhs.gov (accessed August 3, 2011).
  8. National Infant and Toddler Child Care InitativeInfant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines Factsheet. 2010. http://main.zerotothree.org (accessed July 26, 2011).
  9. National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative. 2010. Infant/Toddler Credential Fact Sheet. Personal Communication.
  10. NCCP contacted the New Hampshire Bright Stars programs and was informed that it is not a QRIS program. NCCP could not find confirmatory evidence beyond NCCIC that DC Gold Stars program is still active. DC Action for Children reported that the district does not have a QRIS program (http://www.dcactionforchildren.org).
    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. 2010 States and Communities Operating, Piloting, or Exploring or Designing a Quality Rating and Improvement System nccic.acf.hhs.gov/qrisresourceguide/?do=qrisstate (accessed August 16, 2010).