Early Childhood

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.

How the Trump Administration’s Embrace of Oil, Gas, and Chemical Industry Interests Will Endanger Children’s Health

The Trump administration’s actions to eliminate lifesaving environmental protections would allow corporate polluters to emit more toxins and chemicals, exposing more than 2 million kids to pollutants that increase the likelihood of lifelong health concerns—such as asthma, autism, ADHD, and cancer—while undercutting the administration’s own “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.

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.

ICYMI: Rep. Ro Khanna: Everyone should share in America’s prosperity, not just CEOs and billionaires

Why Gen Z men are the most pro-union generation in history

A New Economic Patriotism: A Conversation With Rep. Ro Khanna

Please join the Center for American Progress for a conversation with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) as part of the “What's Next: Conversations on the Path Forward” series.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘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.

Promising Models To Support and Expand the Early Childhood Educator Workforce

Early childhood educators do critical work in educating the nation’s youngest learners. Recruiting, retaining, and expanding the workforce through investments in their compensation and benefits must be prioritized.

Fact Sheet: What To Know About the Child Care for Working Families Act

The Child Care for Working Families Act would make child care more accessible and affordable, promote high-quality care options, and support child care workers.

About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children

In an op-ed published by InsideSources, Hailey Gibbs highlights proven strategies that communities and policymakers can adopt to better mitigate the deadly effects of climate change for young children and infants.

Debunking Myths About Head Start: How the Program Promotes Opportunity and Strengthens Families, Communities, and Economies

Decades of research illustrate Head Start’s effectiveness and its ability to meet the unique needs of local communities—along with the crucial role it plays in state and local economies.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Gut Programs That Support Children

Proposed cuts to vital food, health, and education programs would threaten families’ budgets and slash supports for children.

Congressional Republicans Are Planning One of the Largest-Ever Cuts to Basic Supports for Children

The congressional Republican tax and budget plan would slash programs that provide food, health care, and other supports to America’s children.

Executive Summary: Differentiating Between Harmful Child Care Deregulation and Helpful Reform

Instead of rolling back critical child care regulations, policymakers should streamline regulations and reduce administrative burdens that are not directly tied to child health, safety, and quality learning.

A Path Forward on Child Care Regulation: Differentiating Between Harmful Deregulation and Helpful Reform

States can and should make child care licensing reforms that ease burdens on providers and improve access—but must do so without endangering child health and safety.

Closures of Head Start Regional Offices Jeopardize Critical Services for Children and Families

A new CAP interactive shows the states affected by recent closures of Head Start regional offices, which play a critical role in administering grants and overseeing the delivery of early childhood services.

Governors’ Addresses Reveal Bipartisan, Nationwide Commitment to Early Care and Education

Governors’ 2025 State of the State addresses showcase the widespread impact of the child care crisis and an increasing recognition of the importance of expanded investments in the sector.

5 Things To Know About Head Start

Head Start provides educational, health, nutritional, and social services to hundreds of thousands of young children and their families every year, playing a critical role in the U.S. early care and learning landscape.

Increased Bipartisan Focus on Child Care Must Lead To Congressional Action

CAP analysis finds that the 118th Congress, facing more pressure than ever to address the nation’s child care crisis, oversaw a significant increase in the introduction of bipartisan child care and early learning bills.

Understanding the Basics of Child Care in the United States

The United States needs real solutions at all levels of government, coupled with robust public investment, to build a child care and early learning system that works for children, families, educators, and providers.

Head Start funding freeze: The panic was the point

In an op-ed published by the Wisconsin Examiner, Casey Peeks discusses Trump’s funding freeze and how it continues to affect Head Start programs across the country.

A 2024 Review of Child Care and Early Learning in the United States

Updated data on child care and early learning in the United States illustrate the urgent need for holistic public policymaking and robust investments that support young children, families, and early educators.

States Seek To Improve Early Childhood Outcomes Through Consolidated Governance Structures

In recent years, a number of states have moved to consolidate disparately administered early childhood programs into a single agency to improve coordination of services and reduce administrative burdens.

The Childcare Crisis Hampers Opportunity for America’s Families

In an op-ed published by Ms., Hailey Gibbs write about how a second Trump presidency could affect America’s child care crisis.

Child Care Expenses Push an Estimated 134,000 Families Into Poverty Each Year

Robust public investments can lift the weight of the child care affordability crisis off the safety net’s shoulders.

Pandemic-Era Funding for Early Learning Programs Showcases One of the Most Important Investments the United States Can Make

Actions by the Biden-Harris administration and state policymakers illustrate how early learning investments are effective and necessary, paving the way for systemic changes to the country’s child care system.

Hear From a Child Care Director: How Extreme Heat Affects Young Children

Extreme heat places a strain on child care program facilities and poses risks to children’s health, learning, and development.

Hear From a Teacher: How Extreme Heat Affects Student Learning

In rural and low-income communities, inadequate school infrastructure fails to protect students from extreme heat, negatively affecting student attendance, engagement, and achievement.

Hear From a Pediatrician: How Extreme Heat Endangers Children’s Health and What We Can Do About It

Dr. Debra Hendrickson, clinical professor of pediatrics and author of The Air They Breathe, explains the risks extreme heat and climate change pose to children's health and the actions parents, communities, and policymakers can take to protect them.

Executive Summary: Protecting Children From Extreme Heat Is Critical for Their Health, Learning, and Development

This fact sheet summarizes a recent Center of American Progress report highlighting the need for policymakers to take steps to develop heat standards for children and support infrastructure improvements to ensure schools, child care centers, and communities are safe and healthy places for children.

Protecting Children From Extreme Heat Is Critical for Their Health, Learning, and Development

As climate change intensifies extreme heat around the globe, policymakers must take steps to develop heat standards for children and support infrastructure improvements to ensure schools, child care centers, and communities are safe and healthy places for children.

What Is Project 2025?

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 is a road map for how a new, far-right presidential administration could take over the country. Maya Angelou said it best: "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Project 2025 Would Eliminate Head Start, Severely Restricting Access to Child Care in Rural America

If enacted, the elimination of Head Start would undermine economic growth and exacerbate inequalities among families with young children.

2024 Summit on Education: Reset. Reframe. Reform.

Fact Sheet: Using Federal Preschool Grant To Build State Early Learning Systems

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five program is a valuable tool for increasing families’ seamless access to early care and education programs.

Governors Are Calling for Investments in Early Care and Education

Echoing 2023, governors from both political parties prioritized child care and pre-kindergarten in their 2024 State of the State addresses.

States Are Taking Action To Address the Child Care Crisis

Federal COVID-19 relief funding for child care stabilization grants ended in September 2023, but a number of states have stepped up this year to address the child care needs of working families.

Building a Comprehensive State Child Care Agenda

Join CAP's Early Childhood Policy team to learn how the recently released data dashboard and state policymaker toolkit can be used to increase investments in child care and early learning programs.

Data Dashboard: An Overview of Child Care and Early Learning in the United States

The Center for American Progress has developed a data dashboard that allows users to explore national- and state-level data trends on a range of child care and early learning topics, including access to affordable care, the child care workforce, Head Start, and exclusionary discipline policies.

Related Resources on Child Care and Early Learning

This webpage offers a list of resources that can help make the case for investments in child care and early learning at the state level.

How To Expand Access to Affordable, High-Quality Child Care and Preschool

This webpage provides a menu of state policy recommendations and examples of state policies to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care and preschool opportunities.

Messaging and Communications To Promote Early Childhood Education

This webpage offers guidance on messaging and communications to promote child care and early childhood education in states.

Early Childhood Education in U.S. States

This toolkit provides information and resources to help state policymakers advocate for increased investments in their state child care and early learning systems.

The Child Care Sector Is Still Struggling To Hire Workers

Amid a tight labor market and lack of sustainable funding, the child care sector’s shortage of good jobs persists, exacerbating its challenge to attract and retain workers.

CAP Comments on the EPA’s Proposed Rule on Lead Dust Levels in Child-Occupied Facilities

The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in response to the agency’s proposed lower lead dust hazard standards and clearance levels for child-occupied homes and child care facilities.

Health Equity in Early Childhood Policy

Reversing the Decline in Routine Childhood Immunization Rates Is Good Health, Equity, and Economic Policy

Policymakers can address the decline in routine childhood vaccination rates in the United States by improving access and boosting confidence in childhood vaccines, and by making vaccination the easiest and most sensible choice.

Policymakers Must Understand How Education, Health Care, and Economic Security Shape Early Child Development

Policymaking that considers the unique developmental needs of young children, as well as their lived experiences and that of their families, can set the foundation for health and well-being throughout life.

Strengthening Early Childhood Health, Housing, Education, and Economic Well-Being Through Holistic Public Policy

The preschool years present a critical developmental period sensitive to changes in public health and social policy, for which robust investments in programs that support families can improve intergenerational outcomes.

Federal Child Care Legislation Over the Past Decade

The past decade of child care legislation illustrates an increase in bipartisan action on the child care crisis and highlights the need for Congress to enact legislation to support a federally funded comprehensive child care system.

5 Things To Know About the Child Care for Working Families Act

The Child Care for Working Families Act aims to expand access to and lower the cost of care for families, support child care workers, and address racial and gender disparities in the child care system.

5 Actions the FDA Can Take To Reduce Heavy Metal Toxins in Baby Food

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration revises guidance for allowable levels of lead in baby food, further federal action is needed to protect all young children from environmental toxins in food products.

CAP’s Comments on FDA Draft Guidance for Lead Levels in Foods Marketed to Babies and Young Children

The Center for American Progress submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in response to the agency’s proposed draft guidance intended to reduce lead in foods marketed for infants and young children.

3 Ways States Can Expand and Sustain the Infrastructure Workforce by Meeting Child Care Needs

To improve recruitment, training, and retention in the construction industry, states should utilize infrastructure funds to address workers’ child care needs.

States Can Improve Child Care Assistance Programs Through Cost Modeling

The current process states use for setting child care subsidy reimbursement rates only looks backward, building low wages and scarce resources into the future of child care.

Top 5 Actions Governors Can Take To Address the Child Care Shortage

Governors must take the lead in instituting policies that fairly compensate early childhood providers for the skilled work they perform, incentivize the creation of programs in child care deserts, and relieve families of the high cost of care.

Governors Demonstrate Bipartisan Support for Child Care and Early Education

Both Democratic and Republican governors are taking bold action to support young children and their families.

Strengthening Home Visiting To Promote the Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Families

The reauthorization and expansion of a key home visiting program could support better outcomes for Indigenous parents and young children.

Disparities in Housing, Health Care, Child Care, and Economic Security Affect Babies for Life

Social determinants of health, such as access to secure housing, family employment and economic stability, education, and child care, must be the focus of federal policies to support infant and toddler health.

Congress Should Guarantee Medicaid Continuous Coverage for Pregnant Women and Children

Congress has a narrow window to help preserve insurance coverage and improve both postpartum care and children’s health outcomes when the public health emergency ends.

Child Tax Credit Improvements Must Come Before Corporate Tax Breaks

To sustain recent reductions in child poverty, Congress should prioritize improvements to the child tax credit over corporate tax breaks in year-end tax negotiations.

The Child Care Sector Will Continue To Struggle Hiring Staff Unless It Creates Good Jobs

Child care sites across the country are facing immense challenges hiring and retaining staff amid a shortage of good jobs, leaving parents struggling to find care and placing increasing stress on the workers that remain.

Increasing America’s Child Care Supply

With additional funding, an existing federal subsidy program could forestall closures and supply losses in the child care sector until policymakers secure meaningful investments.

Examining the Powerful Impact of Investments in Early Childhood for Children, Families, and Our Nation’s Economy

Rasheed Malik testified before the House Budget Committee on July 20, 2022, on the importance of investing in early childhood programs.

A Strong Start in Life: How Public Health Policies Affect the Well-Being of Pregnancies and Families

Understanding how the key social determinants of health—including housing, employment, and education—affect perinatal health is critical to ensuring that federal policies support healthy babies and families.

Why K-12 Teachers and Their Students Need Investments in Child Care

To meet the caregiving needs of the K-12 educator workforce and the developmental needs of the youngest students, the United States needs sustained, significant federal investments in the accessibility and affordability of high-quality child care.

Urgent Congressional Action Is Needed To Stave Off Hunger for Millions of Students

Congress must pass the Support Kids Not Red Tape Act to support continued access to school meals.

3 Ways Federal Investments Can Address Child Care Deserts in America

Comprehensive, sustained investments in child care can create historic opportunities to transform the system by building supply, expanding affordability, and supporting the workforce.

4 Reasons the U.S. Economy Needs Comprehensive Child Care

Building the infrastructure for a robust child care system would have wide positive reverberations for the nation’s businesses and broader economic recovery and growth.

5 Strategies for Equitable Implementation of Public Investments in Child Care

States received an influx of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to stabilize their child care industries. Key policy strategies that center equity ensure that these funds reach the people who need them most.

The American Rescue Plan Shored Up Child Care, But a Long-Term Solution Is Necessary

The American Rescue Plan provided much-needed funding to protect the child care sector from collapse, but long-term investments are critical to achieve lasting infrastructural change.

Child Care Spending Generates Massive Dividends

Major child care investments pay for themselves through a range of benefits, including improved child and family health, bolstered educational outcomes, and economic recovery.

Only Bold Action From Congress Will Solve the Child Care Crisis

Long-term investments in a new birth-to-five early learning system will be critical to a strong economic recovery.

Early Learning in the United States: 2021

These state fact sheets provide data on access to affordable child care for families, compensation for child care providers, and economic benefits of increased public investment in early learning.

Promoting Equitable Access to Quality Child Care

Increased federal investments offer an opportunity to expand equitable access to quality child care for all children and families.

The Build Back Better Act Substantially Expands Child Care Assistance

The Build Back Better Act ensures child care assistance for 16 times as many young children as under current law, and in some states, it would help state child care agencies reach more than 25 times as many children and their families.

The Build Back Better Act Will Allow Parents To Choose Faith-Based Child Care and Pre-K

Despite claims to the contrary, the Build Back Better Act envisions an important role for faith-based child care providers.

Investing in Home Care and Early Childhood Educators Has Outsize Impacts on Employment

Proposed investments in the Build Back Better agenda would benefit a significant number of workers, particularly women and women of color; transform the home care and early childhood sectors; and lift living standards and employment prospects for millions of Americans.

How the Child Tax Credit Is Already Working To Improve Children’s Lives

Congress must make the temporary expansion of the child tax credit permanent.

Tell Congress: Families Deserve Affordable Child Care

The United States needs a comprehensive solution to make child care affordable for families.

The Build Back Better Act Would Greatly Lower Families’ Child Care Costs

The Build Back Better Act would ease a significant burden on middle-class families’ finances, lowering their child care costs by more than $100 per week in most states.

More Than 125 Economists and Public Policy Scholars Agree That Investing in Child Care Is Necessary for Children, Families, and the Economy

Experts urge congressional leadership to make long-overdue investments in child care and early learning.

These Interconnected Policies Would Sustain Families, Support Women, and Grow the Economy

Together, the policies included in the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda would propel families’ and the country’s economic security by prioritizing child care, the child tax credit, paid family and medical leave, and good jobs that get Americans back to work.

The U.S. Child Care Crisis Explained

The lack of affordable and high-quality child care has disproportionately pushed women out of the workforce for decades. It is long past time for the United States to provide adequate, sustained funding and end the child care crisis.

The True Cost of High-Quality Child Care Across the United States

Increased public investment in child care is needed to help families access high-quality, affordable child care that meets their needs.

Millions of Families Are Struggling to Address Child Care Disruptions

While families of all types are experiencing child care disruptions, the tools available to address them vary significantly across demographics.

Growing the Economy Through Affordable Child Care

The Child Care for Working Families Act would invest in the United States’ care infrastructure, growing the economy while lowering child care costs for the middle class.

Optimizing Distribution of American Rescue Plan Funds To Stabilize Child Care

Community-based intermediary organizations can help states quickly deliver the American Rescue Plan’s $24 billion child care relief and stabilization fund to child care providers.

Building Back Better: Investing in Improving Schools, Creating Jobs, and Strengthening Families and Our Economy

Rasheed Malik, senior policy analyst for Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress, testified before a hearing on the importance of investing in schools and child care to strengthen families and the economy at the U.S. House of Representatives on April 28, 2021.

An Expanded Child Tax Credit Would Lift Millions of Children Out of Poverty

Congress must not miss the opportunity to improve children’s lives and reduce economic and racial inequality.

6 Ways To Ensure Preschool Contributes to an Equitable Early Childhood System

The Biden-Harris administration has an opportunity to create a world-class preschool program that addresses racial and income inequities, but it must be part of a continuum of support for children from birth to kindergarten.

Saving Child Care Means Preserving Jobs and Supporting Working Families and Small Businesses

To prepare the child care sector for the future, America must invest significantly in the child care workforce and provide quality, accessible, affordable child care for all.

The Basic Facts About Children in Poverty

Nearly 11 million children are living in poverty in America. Here is how the crisis reached this point—and what steps must be taken to solve it.

Tell Congress: It’s Past Time to #SaveChildCare

Congress must pass a comprehensive COVID-19 relief package that includes at least $50 billion to save the child care industry for families and providers.

State and Local Wins Illustrate National Demand for Early Learning Investments

Communities across the country have passed state and local ballot measures to increase public funding for early childhood services, demonstrating a path forward for federal action in 2021.

With Decreased Enrollment and Higher Operating Costs, Child Care Is Hit Hard Amid COVID-19

A statewide survey of Colorado child care providers shows unsustainable business conditions and bolsters the need for federal child care relief.

How COVID-19 Sent Women’s Workforce Progress Backward

The collapse of the child care sector and drastic reductions in school supervision hours as a result of COVID-19 could drive millions of mothers out of the paid workforce. Inaction could cost billions, undermine family economic security, and set gender equity back a generation.

6 State Strategies To Improve Child Care Policies During the Pandemic and Beyond

As the child care market struggles to survive the impact of the pandemic, states can implement strategies to improve child care so that it better meets the needs of working families, children, educators, and employers.

‘We Need To Take Away Children’: Former Administration Officials Were ‘Driving Force’ Behind Family Separation Policy

The horrors of family separation and the lasting harms of these policies on children shall remain in the minds of every American.

5 Ways the Trump Administration’s Policies Have Harmed Children

The policies of the past four years have been unequivocally damaging to young children, threatening programs that help to meet their basic needs.

As Election Nears, Millennial and Gen Z Voters Want Action on Child Care

As the nation heads to the polls, it is important to understand that young voters are deeply affected by child care issues during the coronavirus pandemic and that they support child care relief funding and longer-term strategies to invest in child care.

How the Child Care for Working Families Act Benefits Children With Disabilities and Their Families

The Child Care for Working Families Act provides solutions to meet the care needs of all families, including those with disabled children.

What Do Voters Want on Child Care Ahead of the 2020 Elections?

The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded existing challenges for many parents in finding and affording high quality child care. Subsequently, voters strongly support increased governmental steps to help parents care for their kids and continue to work.

The Truth About President Trump’s Track Record on Child Care

The Trump administration failed to deliver on its promise to make child care more affordable.

The Cost of Child Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic

States can use this interactive calculator to estimate the increased cost of providing child care that meets coronavirus guidelines.

The True Cost of Providing Safe Child Care During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Thousands of child care providers are at risk of permanent closure without significant public investment.

Adversity in Early Childhood

New analyses reveal 1 in 4 young children have already experienced adversity before age 4, with significant racial and geographic disparities.

State Responses To Address the Shortage of Infant and Toddler Child Care

States and localities recognize the need for affordable, quality infant and toddler child care and have taken steps to create solutions that better serve their communities.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Forcing Millennial Mothers Out of the Workforce

Without federal relief funds, many child care programs will close, disproportionately affecting women’s labor force participation.

Grants and Contracts: A Strategy for Building the Supply of Subsidized Infant and Toddler Child Care

States such as Georgia have used grants and contracts to help increase access to affordable high-quality child care for working families.

Costly and Unavailable: America Lacks Sufficient Child Care Supply for Infants and Toddlers

Less than one-fourth of infants and toddlers across a sample including 19 states and Washington, D.C., could be served by the existing licensed child care supply. The coronavirus crisis is likely to make that worse.

Policymakers Must Fund Home Visiting Programs During COVID-19

In states and tribal communities across the country, home visitors continue to support families’ basic needs and emotional well-being throughout a period of high stress and economic instability brought on by the pandemic and recession.

How Child Care Disruptions Hurt Parents of Color Most

Black and multiracial parents are more likely than white parents to experience child care-related job disruptions.

The Coronavirus Will Make Child Care Deserts Worse and Exacerbate Inequality

The COVID-19 pandemic could cause many child care providers to remain closed permanently, especially in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

Valuing Women’s Caregiving During and After the Coronavirus Crisis

Working women face new caregiving challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and need structural policy change that mitigates long-term impacts on their earnings and employment, including resources to stabilize the child care industry.

How Partisan Gerrymandering Hurts Kids

As state leaders try to expand programs that would provide child care, education, and other support for families with children, the politics of gerrymandering stand in their way.

Governors Lead the Way in Responding to Child Care Needs Amid the Coronavirus Crisis

Governors have enacted policies to provide child care to essential workers, increase pay and benefits for child care workers, and sustain child care subsidy payments, but the federal government must invest in child care to save the industry in the long-term.

Coronavirus Pandemic Could Lead to Permanent Loss of Nearly 4.5 Million Child Care Slots

Many child care programs will be unable to reopen without significant federal support, causing existing shortages to skyrocket and leaving the millions who rely on child care to work in a bind.

Home Visiting: A Lifeline During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Home visiting programs need additional funding and flexibility now to continue serving families remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

How the Federal Government Can Protect Essential Workers in the Fight Against Coronavirus

Seven core policy reforms are required to protect public health and treat essential workers with respect during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Congress Needs To Ensure Educational Equity in the Wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic

The federal government must take action in order to address the immediate-, medium-, and long-term fallout from the coronavirus crisis on pre-K, K-12 and higher education.

The U.S. Coronavirus Response Must Meet Health Workers’ Child Care Needs

Nearly 5 million health workers may need emergency child care in order to fulfill work responsibilities during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Senate Stimulus Proposal in Response to Coronavirus Fails to Meet the Moment

The Senate’s coronavirus stimulus bill doesn’t do nearly enough to help families and small businesses.

Invest in Child Care: Something Has To Change

Congress must fund child care to help early educators ensure that future generations have the foundation they need to build a healthy, successful life.

The Child Care Crisis Causes Job Disruptions for More Than 2 Million Parents Each Year

Across the country, expensive and limited child care options are causing parents to interrupt their jobs and make other financial sacrifices.

Ensuring Healthy Births Through Prenatal Support

Providing prenatal care and support helps improve birth outcomes.

The Child Care Crisis Disproportionately Affects Children With Disabilities

A new CAP analysis shows that parents of young children with disabilities experience severe child care challenges and consequences from not finding care.

Opportunities for States To Improve Infant Health Outcomes

Racial and ethnic disparities in infant health outcomes across states show the need for lawmakers to enact policies that will address the country’s infant health crisis.

Interactive: Opportunities for States To Improve Infant Health Outcomes

This interactive allows users to see states' progress toward implementing policies to improve maternal and infant mortality and eliminate racial disparities in health across three domains: healthy families, economic and work supports, and infant health outcomes.

Interactive: Exploring Infant Health Outcomes Across Race and Ethnicity and by State

This interactive allows users to view the most recent available data on infant health outcomes across states and compare demographic groups to see how outcomes differ by race and ethnicity.

The Economics of Caregiving for Working Mothers

Working mothers are important drivers of three essential industries—elementary and secondary education, hospitals, and food services—yet cannot afford child care for their own children.

Building Momentum: State Progress on Early Learning in 2019

Governors and legislators across the country are taking much-needed steps to support families by investing in child care, preschool, and home visiting.

Investing in Infant and Toddler Child Care to Strengthen Working Families

Child care is expensive and scarce for children under age 3, when the benefits from quality child care are highest.

How Universal Home Visiting Models Can Support Newborns and Their Families

Universal home visiting models can have a positive impact on communities by serving all families and connecting those most in need to additional community resources.

Early Learning in the United States: 2019

These fact sheets outline the current state of early learning and opportunities for improvement in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Angela and Patrice: A Conversation on the Need for Affordable Child Care

Angela and her daughter Patrice discuss the effects of the lack of quality, affordable child care on their family as Patrice raises two young daughters.

Patty and Megan: 2 Generations of Mothers on the Need for Affordable Child Care

Patty and her daughter Megan discuss the importance of affordable child care for Megan's daughter and how this issue affects their family.

3 Ways Federal Financial Aid Could Work Better for Student-Parents

More than one-fifth of U.S. college students have children; it’s time for financial aid to better recognize their challenges.

5 Revelations From Children in Border Patrol Facilities

Court documents reveal that children endure abysmal conditions in Border Patrol facilities.

Working Families Are Spending Big Money on Child Care

New data show that child care expenses amount to 35 percent of low-income families’ earnings.

Children’s Health Care Access Would Improve Under Universal Coverage Plans

Universal coverage plans, including CAP’s Medicare Extra for All proposal, would improve health care access for children and their families.

When Parents Can’t Find Summer Child Care, Their Work Suffers

A lack of child care during the summer pushes parents to make job sacrifices that compromise their incomes and job security.

5 Facts To Know About Child Care in Rural America

Improved access to quality child care would support economic security in rural communities, which have unique child care needs.

Governors Propose Nearly $3 Billion of Investments in Early Learning Programs

More than 30 governors have proposed new funding to help families access and afford needed early childhood education and care services.

5 Reasons Why Strengthening the EITC and CTC Is the Kind of Tax Reform America Needs

Congressional Democrats’ new tax plan would increase the CTC for a minimum wage worker with two young children 72 times more than President Trump’s tax law did.

Harnessing State Child Tax Credits Will Dramatically Reduce Child Poverty

By introducing a state child tax credit—or improving an existing credit—state policymakers can substantially reduce child poverty, increase family economic security, and invest in their state’s next generation.

Child Care Supply by Congressional District

This interactive provides information about the supply of child care in every congressional district.

The Child Care Crisis Is Keeping Women Out of the Workforce

More mothers would increase their earnings and seek new job opportunities if they had greater access to reliable and affordable child care.

How Ending TPS Will Hurt U.S.-Citizen Children

The termination of TPS could have lifelong consequences for children who have family members holding these protections.

Families and Educators Benefit from Congress’ Increase in Child Care Funding

In 2018, Congress passed the United States’ largest ever increase of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, giving states across the nation more than $2 billion additional each year to invest in child care.

Early Childhood Agenda for Governors in 2019

With 36 new or re-elected governors taking office in 2019, there is an opportunity to make progress on early childhood education issues to improve the lives of millions of children and families across the United States.

America’s Child Care Deserts in 2018

A new analysis of child care supply in every U.S. neighborhood finds that approximately half the country has too few licensed child care options.

Understanding the True Cost of Child Care for Infants and Toddlers

A state-by-state analysis of the true cost of infant and toddler child care finds it is unaffordable for most working families.

Newly Elected Governors Support Expanding Early Childhood Programs

Governors across the United States ran—and won—on plans to expand child care and early childhood education policies.

Understanding Infant and Toddler Child Care Deserts

A new analysis of child care supply by age group finds that child care deserts are largely a product of extremely sparse infant and toddler care.

HHS Plans to Strip Vital Programs of Funding to Hold More Immigrant Children in Custody

The Trump administration is prolonging the custody of an unprecedented number of immigrant children—and taking money from important programs to pay for it.

The Effects of Universal Preschool in Washington, D.C.

In an era of skyrocketing child care prices, the District of Columbia’s offer of two years of free, high-quality preschool has been a game changer for working families.

Early Learning in the United States: 2018

These fact sheets explore the status of early childhood programs in each state and highlight the need to invest in programs that support child development, allow parents to work, and strengthen state economies.

Affordable Child Care and Early Learning for All Families

Voters across the political spectrum express a strong desire for state and federal governments to tackle issues involving affordable child care and expanded access to early learning.

Proposed Bill Would Help American Families Afford Child Care

By passing the Child Care for Working Families Act, Congress has an opportunity to address the nation’s child care crisis and benefit families and workers in every state.

Do Family Separation and Detention Deter Immigration?

Statistical analysis of data on southwest border apprehensions illustrates that policies of family separation and detention will not deter families from coming to the United States.

Trump’s Family Incarceration Policy Threatens Healthy Child Development

Spending any amount of time in family detention is detrimental to children’s mental, physical, and emotional health.

American Indian and Alaska Native Maternal and Infant Mortality: Challenges and Opportunities

American Indian and Alaska Native women face high rates of maternal and infant mortality.

Families Can Expect to Pay 20 Percent of Income on Summer Child Care

Summer child care is out of reach for many families.

Blueprint for the 21st Century

CAP’s Jobs Blueprint addresses the wage stagnation and employment challenges facing working class Americans and communities left behind by investing in millions of new jobs nationwide to meet some of our nation’s most pressing economic and social needs and creating a job guarantee in the hardest-hit areas.

Bold Ideas for State Action

Americans are ready for states—the laboratories of democracy—to offer a new progressive vision for shared prosperity. This report presents a menu of state policy priorities to help people secure good jobs and good wages and to support strong and healthy communities in which all people are treated fairly and equitably.

Head Start in Rural America

These 10 state facts sheets provide comprehensive new information on the number of rural families served by Head Start, including rates of health service delivery.

The Trump Plan to Cut Benefit Programs Threatens Children

Cuts to programs that provide children with health care, nutritious food, and stable housing will compromise their development during a critically important time.

A Compass for Families

Head Start helps fill a critical void in early childhood education and service delivery in rural America.

5 Recent Environmental Safety Changes Threatening Children’s Health

Under the leadership of Administrator Scott Pruitt, the Environmental Protection Agency is scaling back safety measures that keep children’s food, air, and water safe.

Progressive Policy Wins in the Omnibus

Congress’ spending deal makes a number of important policy advances—although it shamefully leaves Dreamers behind.

Top 10 Early Childhood Ideas for States in 2018

States have a critical role to play in expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs to ensure all children have the best start in life.

Fact Sheets: President Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Harms Nearly Every Community Across the Country

Trump’s budget is an unmitigated disaster for everyday Americans—including women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ individuals, communities of color, and more.

Where Does Your Child Care Dollar Go?

Understanding the true cost of high-quality child care is an important step in building support for a public investment in early childhood education.

Trump’s Budget Reveals that He Wants Everyday Americans to Pay for His Tax Cuts for the Wealthy

The president's budget pays for his tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations by slashing health care, education, and other critical investments.

Trump’s Attack on Immigrants Is Breaking the Backbone of America’s Child Care System

One in five early childhood educators are immigrants; threatening their security undermines the nation’s child care system.

Exploring African Americans’ High Maternal and Infant Death Rates

It is imperative to consider how racism and other forms of discrimination contribute to alarmingly high rates of maternal and infant mortality among African American women.

Imposing Medicaid Work Requirements Would Be Bad for Children’s Health Too

Imposing work requirements for parents could introduce instability to children’s health care coverage and increase stress in homes across America.

Suspensions Are Not Support

The United States suspends or expels preschool children with disabilities at an alarming rate.

While Congress Cuts Taxes, Children and Families Are Left Without Health Insurance and Support Services

Congress’ focus on passing tax cuts for the wealthy has left state administrators to explain why families may lose services covered under the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program.

The Child Care for Working Families Act Will Boost Employment and Create Jobs

The Child Care for Working Families Act, introduced by Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Bobby Scott, would result in 2.3 million new jobs.

House Republican Attempts to Repeal the Adoption Tax Credit Show Their Real Priorities in Tax Reform

The tax plan recently introduced by the House GOP proposes eliminating several deductions and tax credits that support families. While changes have been made since its introduction, the original proposal provides evidence of congressional Republicans’ true priorities.

The House GOP Tax Bill Does Not Address Child Care Affordability 

The House Republican tax bill makes no substantial improvements to child care assistance for working families and scales back existing programs.

A Working Mother Explains Why Medicaid, Nutrition Assistance, and Child Care Are So Important

Congress and the Trump administration proposed deep cuts to many programs struggling families need to get by.

New Data Reveal 250 Preschoolers Are Suspended or Expelled Every Day

The new National Survey of Children’s Health sheds some light on a troubling epidemic.

The Cost of Inaction on Universal Preschool

Every year that policymakers delay on universal high-quality preschool, the United States loses billions of dollars in related economic benefits.

The Importance of Child Care Safety Protections

Commonsense child care safety protections ensure that children are cared for in safe, high-quality care environments.

Trump’s Plan for the Child Tax Credit Does Not Meet Working Families’ Needs

Trump’s proposal to increase the Child Tax Credit by an unspecified amount would not offset the enormous damage his tax plan would do to working families in order to cut taxes for the wealthy.

Trump Pushes Massive Tax Cut for Multimillionaires over Child Care for Working Families

The Trump administration’s estate tax repeal proposal abandons promise of affordable child care and prioritizes tax cuts for wealthy heirs.

Hurricane Maria’s Effects on Young Children in Puerto Rico

Congress needs to take action in order to mitigate Hurricane Maria’s effects on the already underprivileged children of Puerto Rico.

Congress Just Let a Critical Home Visiting Program for Vulnerable Children and Families Expire

Congress has let funding for the MIECHV program expire. Here is what that means for the children and families served by home visiting.

Ivanka Trump’s Report Card on Women’s and Working Families’ Issues

On the heels of Ivanka Trump asking for lowered expectations of what she can achieve, this report card attempts to assess how well she has honored her promises to women and working families, and to map out ways to improve her work going forward.

America Needs More Teachers of Color and a More Selective Teaching Profession

States, teacher preparation programs, and alternative certification programs are taking steps to build a more diverse and selective pool of educators.

2 Million Parents Forced to Make Career Sacrifices Due to Problems with Child Care

New analysis finds that in 2016, 2 million parents had to quit a job, not take a job, or greatly change their job because of problems with child care.

Home Visiting Programs Are Vital for Maternal and Infant Health

The federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program provides evidence-based services to mothers and children that help their whole families.

A Blueprint for Child Care Reform

A significant federal investment in child care is urgently needed to make child care more affordable for and accessible to families, promote healthy development in young children, and create well-paying jobs in the growing care industry.

Mapping America’s Child Care Deserts

CAP’s geographic study of child care markets finds that approximately half of Americans across 22 states live in areas with an undersupply of child care options.

Trump’s Immigration Policies Are Harming American Children

Immigration policies that target the parents of U.S. citizens have profound consequences for children’s development, and for the economy.

Trump’s Cuts to Lead Abatement Programs Will Hurt Children Most

President Trump’s changes to the Environmental Protection Agency will dismantle programs that protect young children from lead paint.

Early Learning in the United States: 2017

By preparing children for school and enabling parents to work, high-quality child care and preschool are a necessity for children, families, and the economy. These fact sheets explore the status of early learning programs in states and the need for state investment in these programs.

8 Ways the House Republicans’ Budget Will Harm Working Families to Pay for Millionaire Tax Cuts

House Republicans’ budget proposal is yet another Trojan horse to give tax cuts to the wealthy, while slashing programs everyday Americans rely on.