Supporting State Child Care Efforts with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds

This report highlights numerous examples of how American Recovery and Reinvestments Act funds have made an important difference for children and families by enabling access to child care assistance, as well as investments in the quality of care. Most notably, ARRA child care funds are helping to prevent families from losing the assistance they need, and expanding this important support to families who have been waiting for much-needed help.

Despite the ARRA funds, states are facing serious budget shortfalls and several have made cuts that negatively impact the availability, affordability, and quality of child care.  With ARRA funds expected to expire at the end of 2010, and a grim outlook for states’ budgets, child care still hangs in balance.