Fact Sheet State Approaches to Accessing and Using Federal Funds for ECE Systems and Workforce Compensation
Insights from National and State Leaders
Diane Schilder, Julia B. Isaacs
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This fact sheet presents key findings and recommendations from state and national experts on early care and education (ECE) who participated in a project designed to explore how states are accessing and using federal funds to support ECE systems and improve compensation for the ECE workforce.

Findings

Promising strategies states can employ to access and use federal funds for ECE systems and workforce compensation include the following:

  • In 2022, the federal government spent approximately $26 billion in child care and early education outlays. States have a large role in determining whether and how these early care and education (ECE) funds are accessed and used for ECE systems and workforce compensation.
  • Fragmentation, multiple actors, and lack of capacity lead some states to forgo federal funds for ECE systems and the workforce.
  • State fiscal and policy staff can work together to identify federal funds for ECE and create strategies and systems to access a range of federal funds.
  • Prioritizing ECE requires significant investment over time. State ECE leaders should not assume members of the state legislature and executive branch leaders understand the importance of making investments with a lasting impact.
Research and Evidence Family and Financial Well-Being Work, Education, and Labor Tax and Income Supports Research to Action Upward Mobility
Expertise Labor Markets Taxes and the Economy Upward Mobility and Inequality Early Childhood
Tags Child care workers and early childhood teachers Child care Child care and early education State governance Early childhood education Federal budget and economy Structural racism Child care subsidies and affordability Children and youth State and local finance
States Georgia Illinois New Mexico Washington Texas
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