Child Care Funding: How much is needed and is there enough?

In the wake of welfare reform, most low-income single mothers are now required to work. Although government funding for child care has increased dramatically in the last five years, questions remain about whether there is enough. The answer depends on how people define need, what they assume about quality, whom they assume should receive subsidies, and the ease with which parents can access existing programs.

Some new research on these questions will be presented at this forum, based on data from the National Study of Child Care for Low-Income Families by Abt Associates and the National Center for Children in Poverty, case studies conducted by the Urban Institute, and a survey of state child care investments sponsored by the American Public Human Services Association.

This event, sponsored by the Brookings Welfare Reform & Beyond initiative, will begin with a brief overview of child care funding in the United States. Each panelist will analyze current data regarding child care needs and the extent to which existing funds meet those needs. A discussion with audience participation will follow.