Washington, D.C. — More and more states across the United States are keen to boost child care supply and lower costs, but some misguided proposals have proven both counterproductive and harmful. Increasing teacher-child ratios or decreasing educator qualification requirements, for example, target aspects of care most directly linked to child health and safety.
Millions of American parents rely on regular child care to go to work or school, and spiking costs and scarcer options make it a steeper challenge for families. New analysis from the Center for American Progress and the National Association for the Education of Young Children outlines ways that state policymakers can cut down on unnecessarily burdensome child care licensing regulations without compromising the health and safety of young children.
The analysis includes specific policy recommendations to help states in the following areas:
- Easing red tape to reduce unnecessary burdens while promoting safety and quality
- Aligning licensing and regulatory standards to evidence-based markers of quality and safety that establish baselines for health, well-being, and learning
- Streamlining the path programs must take to secure and maintain licensure
- Increasing service coordination by consolidating program administration
- Making critical investments that will build supply, including in compensation for the workforce, facilities upgrades, and offsetting program startup costs
“To open and operate a child care business requires meeting a slew of regulatory requirements—most of which are established at the state level,” said Hailey Gibbs, associate director of Early Childhood Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “State leaders have a range of methods at their disposal to reduce administrative burden, boost supply, and promote quality programming—but they must do so without risking children’s safety.”
“Child care programs play a key role in making sure children are safe, cared for, and supported during their earliest years,” said Allie Schneider, analyst for Early Childhood Policy at CAP and co-author of the report. “That’s why high-quality early learning is, and should be, a significant investment.”
Read the report: “A Path Forward on Child Care Regulation: Differentiating Between Harmful Deregulation and Helpful Reform” by Allie Schneider, Hailey Gibbs, Lauren Hogan, Casey Peeks, Paola Andujar, Maria Estlund, and Daniel Hains
Read the executive summary: “Differentiating Between Harmful Child Care Deregulation and Helpful Reform” by Allie Schneider, Hailey Gibbs, Lauren Hogan, Casey Peeks, Paola Andujar, Maria Estlund, and Daniel Hains
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Mishka Espey at [email protected] or Will Bohlen at [email protected].