10/11/2019

Request for Comments on Affordable Child Care

We encourage members to take a look at this request from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) seeking input from the public and interested stakeholders on strategies to improve access to high quality, affordable child care in the U.S. As you know, local JFS agencies are the front-line staff when it comes to helping clients navigate this vital work support and could offer some valuable feedback.

A description of the request is as follows: Child care is one of the biggest expenses a family faces and can be a barrier to work. The average cost of center-based infant child care in 28 states is more than college tuition. At the same time, child care settings are a place of learning and education for children from the time they are infants and toddlers through their school-age years. Access to high quality learning opportunities lays the foundation for children's development and, ultimately, their success in school and in life. Unfortunately, many families do not have access to the affordable, high quality child care their children need.

This Request for Information seeks public comment on:

• Identifying emerging and innovative practices to improve access to high quality child care, as well as identifying regulatory and other policies that unnecessarily drive up the cost of care or limit parents' choice of different child care options; and
• Identifying ways to improve funding of child care and other related early education programs to support quality and create a more streamlined, equitable, and sustainable financing framework for future generations.

Information collected through this request may be used by ACF in the development of future rulemaking and technical assistance, formation of legislative proposals and research agendas, and/or strategic planning. You may submit comments by December 2, 2019.