Child Care Aware® of America is releasing their annual 2016 State Fact Sheets. The reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in 2014, and more recently the introduction of the Child C.A.R.E. Act, represent an enormous step forward in establishing access to quality, affordable child care for all children and families. The importance of this issue was validated as a national priority in the President’s State of the Union address in January, and the dialogue around finding solutions to the cost of child care for American families continues as a major issue for Presidential candidates this election year.
Child Care in America: 2016 State Fact Sheets provides important data to better understand America’s working families and the circumstances they face. As such, it is a critical tool for child care advocates, policymakers, and program administrators to guide decision-making about child care programs and costs. Data was gathered from federal and national sources and from our state child care resource and referral agency (CCR&R) networks and other CCR&Rs surveyed in 2016. This year’s State Fact Sheets also includes new information on child care as it relates to QRIS, health, and emergency preparedness. This annual report uses federal and national data and information from state CCR&Rs and other state agencies to analyze:
- Family characteristics related to the need for child care
- The use of child care
- The supply of child care
- The cost of child care
- The child care workforce
- Services provided by CCR&Rs
- State facts about QRIS, health, and emergency preparedness