No Child Left Behind? - Child Care Assistance Policies 2001-2004:

Report from National Women's Law Center shows the great progress that is being made over the past 4 years

Child Care Assistance Policies 2001-2004: Families Struggling to Move Forward, States Going Backward

http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/ChildCareSubsidyFinalReport.pdf

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Parents need reliable child care so that they can get and keep jobs to support their families. Yet many families, particularly low-income families struggling to make ends meet, cannot stretch their limited budgets to afford child care, which can easily cost $4,000 to $10,000 a year for one child. Help with child care costs is critical if low-income families are to be able to work, remain self-sufficient, and stay off welfare. However, a comparison of state child care assistance policies in 2004 and 2001, based on data provided by state child care administrators, reveals that instead of finding more help, many families now face increased barriers.

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Despite this clear evidence that child care assistance is essential, recent policy changes are making assistance less, not more, available.

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