In July 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program. CCDF is the primary federal grant that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under the age of 13. In addition to policy changes designed to lower families’ out-of-pocket costs, the NPRM also seeks to improve child care providers’ stability and encourage more providers to accept subsidies, which would increase families’ options for care.

In the two briefs below, Afton offers an overview of how states are currently handling CCDF subsidies and a set of recommendations related to the challenges and opportunities ahead. We break down our analysis by the two main groups impacted by the proposed changes: families and child care providers. Hopefully these briefs can serve as a valuable resource to states as they analyze the situation and prepare for the impact of the new rules, should they take effect as expected in early 2024.

Download the Afton Policy Review: How Will the Proposed Rule Support Families?
Download the Afton Policy Review: How Will the Proposed Rule Help Stabilize Child Care Providers?

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