More than a work support? Issues around integrating child development goals into the child care subsidy system

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Abstract: Child care subsidies now serve an estimated 2 million low-income children. Despite these numbers, policymakers all too often see child development and parental work goals as separate. As a result, work support services such as child care subsidies have not focused on supporting the development of the children that they serve. This article describes current approaches to child care subsidies and identifies the challenges facing those who want to integrate a stronger child development focus into the subsidy system. It discusses questions that policymakers, practitioners, and researchers can explore to help the subsidy system achieve a better balance between supporting parental work and supporting child development.

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Reprinted from Early Childhood Research Quarterly, Volume 17:4, Adams, Gina and Rohacek, Monica, "More than a work support? Issues around integrating child development goals into the child care subsidy system," pp 418-440, 2002, with permission from Elsevier Science.

The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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