Measuring America’s Licensed Child Care Supply ReportApril 29, 2026 Measuring America’s Licensed Child Care Supply Analysis conducted in 2025 measuring families’ access to child care programs, a crucial first step to mitigating the child care supply crisis. Apr 29, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Won F. Lee, Gabrielle Pepin, 2 More Katharine Sadowski, Aaron Sojourner
America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts ReportApril 29, 2026 America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts Eight years after our initial report, CAP’s 2026 analyses of U.S. licensed child care supply reveal that just fewer than half of the nation's young children still live in child care deserts. Apr 29, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks
Executive Summary: America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts Fact SheetApril 29, 2026 Executive Summary: America’s Licensed Child Care Deserts Lawmakers must address the nation’s child care supply crisis; according to CAP’s 2026 analysis, nearly half of young children are in licensed child care deserts, with rural areas facing the worst shortages. Apr 29, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks
The Trump Administration’s Changes to the Child Care and Development Fund Would Strip Families of Thousands of Dollars in Potential Child Care Savings ArticleApril 13, 2026 The Trump Administration’s Changes to the Child Care and Development Fund Would Strip Families of Thousands of Dollars in Potential Child Care Savings Removing a 7 percent cap on child care copayments would put much-needed relief from rising child care costs out of reach for families in 10 states. Apr 13, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks
CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Rolling Back Progress Toward Improving Child Care Assistance for Low-Income Families ArticleFebruary 5, 2026 CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Rolling Back Progress Toward Improving Child Care Assistance for Low-Income Families The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the Department of Health and Human Services opposing the agency's efforts to roll back progress toward paying child care providers more fairly and lowering costs for families. Feb 5, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks
Trump’s Attack on Child Care Funding Undermines Early Educators, Shortchanges Children, and Increases Costs for Families ArticleJanuary 12, 2026 Trump’s Attack on Child Care Funding Undermines Early Educators, Shortchanges Children, and Increases Costs for Families The Trump administration leveraged allegations of fraud in Minnesota in an attempt to freeze essential child care funding, a move that reflects a dangerous, broader posture toward the early childhood community that threatens educators, parents, and children. Jan 12, 2026 Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks
Head Start Is a Model for Supporting Child and Family Mental Health ReportDecember 2, 2025 Head Start Is a Model for Supporting Child and Family Mental Health Amid a pronounced youth mental health crisis in the United States, Head Start stands out as a crucial model for addressing the needs of vulnerable young children. Dec 2, 2025 Hailey Gibbs
IDEA at 50: Resources To Support Students With Disabilities During the Week of Action ArticleNovember 14, 2025 IDEA at 50: Resources To Support Students With Disabilities During the Week of Action Fifty years after the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act transformed special education services for children with disabilities, it is important to both celebrate its legacy and confront the urgent work still needed to fulfill its promise. Nov 14, 2025 Mia Ives-Rublee, Weadé James, Casey Peeks, 3 More Hailey Gibbs, Paige Shoemaker DeMio, Casey Doherty
Child Care Professionals Are on the Front Lines as Climate Change Risks Children’s Health and Development ReportOctober 21, 2025 Child Care Professionals Are on the Front Lines as Climate Change Risks Children’s Health and Development Amid a changing climate and federal rollbacks to disaster relief and preparedness, early educators face an increasingly untenable child care landscape that will require state and local action. Oct 21, 2025 Hailey Gibbs, Nadia Gronkowski, Hester Paul, 2 More Joan Lombardi, Ph.D., Nsedu Obot Witherspoon
CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Affecting Head Start Eligibility Criteria ArticleAugust 14, 2025 CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Affecting Head Start Eligibility Criteria The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the Health and Human Services Department opposing the agency’s unprecedented notice requiring Head Start programs to verify citizenship status in order for families to qualify for services. Aug 14, 2025 Hailey Gibbs, Rosa Barrientos-Ferrer
Reaching a Boiling Point: State and Local Efforts To Protect Children From Extreme Heat Past EventAugust 13, 2025 Reaching a Boiling Point: State and Local Efforts To Protect Children From Extreme Heat Join CAP for a discussion on how to protect the United States' youngest learners from extreme heat in the face of efforts to roll back climate progress. Virtual Aug 13, 2025
‘We Are the Resources’: Head Start Is a Crucial Early Learning and Community Program for Families Nationwide VideoAugust 5, 2025 ‘We Are the Resources’: Head Start Is a Crucial Early Learning and Community Program for Families Nationwide Despite repeated attacks on the program, Head Start has a 60-year track record of providing high-quality services that prepare young children for school and set families up for success. Aug 5, 2025 Hailey Gibbs, Olivia Mowry, Toni Pandolfo