The historic, systemic, and structural racism that plagues the United States has done tremendous harm to the child care and early education system. Despite how generations of exclusionary and harmful policies have exacerbated existing needs, communities of color often endure inequitable access to child care and early education programs. Moreover, providers—who are disproportionately women of color—are chronically underpaid, face barriers to licensing, and receive little support for their long-term business sustainability. 

Long-standing, significant underfunding has caused a scarcity mindset, which has driven state policymakers to make difficult decisions about how to allocate limited resources despite consistently increasing need throughout the system. And, in doing so, policymakers have too often overlooked the children, families, and providers who have been deeply harmed by these trade-offs. This, combined with a history of race-based exclusionary policies, has disproportionately impacted Black and other communities of color—particularly those with the lowest incomes.  

Today, Alejandra Londono Gomez and Alycia Hardy released How Build Back Better Advances Racial Equity in Child Care and Early Education. This fact sheet details how the BBB Act can begin to address socioeconomic inequities—which underpin racial inequities—through expanding access to millions of families, strengthening provider supports, and prioritizing resources to support communities who are underserved. This fact sheet also addresses the historical context of why communities of color are often overrepresented among communities who are underserved and how long-overdue investments can center equity to improve access to child care and early education supports.  

For questions or further information, please contact Alejandra Londono Gomez at [email protected] or Alycia Hardy at [email protected].