Families working nontraditional hours face challenges finding child care, and child care services they do use tend to receive less support from public funds.
Our State-by-State Spending on Kids Dataset offers the most comprehensive account of public spending on children available, and it gives state and federal administrators the data they need to make informed decisions amid pandemic relief.
The American Families Plan includes a historic investment in young children and public education that aims for universal preschool and broad access, especially for children of color and children from families with low incomes. But truly universal preschool may require an even larger investment.
To promote an equitable economic recovery and better support families, policymakers can use COVID-19 relief funds to begin addressing child care challenges.
