Since you are looking at this site with an older browser, you will not be able to see any graphics or formatting. For better results, please upgrade your browser.

Home > State Profiles > United States >

Also of Interest

United States

Early Childhood Profile

Download PDF|Print|
HealthEarly Care and EducationParenting and Economic Supports

State Choices to Promote Access

  • 21 states set the income eligibility limit for child care subsidies at or above 200% FPL. [2010]1
  • 6 states child care subsidy reimbursement rate meets the recommended 75th percentile of the market rate for two consecutive years [2010]2
  • 25 states redetermine the eligibility for child care subsidies no more than once per year [2010]2
  • 17 states supplement Early Head Start with state or other federal funds. [2008]3
  • 40 states fund a pre-kindergarten program and/or supplement Head Start. [2010]4
50-State Data   Policy Definitions

State Choices to Promote Quality


    Warning: preg_replace() [function.preg-replace]: Empty regular expression in /var/www/development/releases/data_development/nccp_profile.php on line 750
  • 1 state [2008]5
  • 8 states require one adult for every four 18-month-olds, and a maximum class size of eight in child care centers. [2008]5
  • 27 states allocate state or federal funds for a network of infant/toddler specialists that provide assistance to child care providers. [2010]6
  • 33 states have early learning standards or developmental guidelines for infants and toddlers. [2010]7
  • 21 states have an infant/toddler credential. [2010]8
  • 23 states require through regulation that infants and toddlers in child care centers be assigned a consistent primary caregiver. [2008]5
  • 20 states have implemented a statewide Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) [2010]9
50-State Data   Policy Definitions
HealthParenting and Economic Supports
Download PDF|Print|

Data Notes and Sources

Last Updated: September 26, 2011

Send us recent developments to update your state's profile.

  1. 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).
  2. 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)
  3. 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.
  4. 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).
  5. 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).
  6. National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative. 2010. Infant/Toddler Specialist Network Fact Sheet . http://nitcci.nccic.acf.hhs.gov (accessed August 3, 2011).
  7. National Infant and Toddler Child Care InitativeInfant/Toddler Early Learning Guidelines Factsheet. 2010. http://main.zerotothree.org (accessed July 26, 2011).
  8. National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative. 2010. Infant/Toddler Credential Fact Sheet. Personal Communication.
  9. 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).