Under current law, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) allows families with incomes up to 85 percent of state median income (SMI) to access assistance. However, with limited resources, states often set their initial income eligibility far below that threshold. Moreover, even families that meet the income criteria are not guaranteed assistance because of underinvestment in the system.  

The child care provisions in the Build Back Better (BBB) Act will guarantee child care assistance for over 90 percent of working families once it is fully enacted. The BBB Act would expand eligibility from day one, significantly increasing access for families with children under 5. The income eligibility in the first year of the program would allow increases in maximum family incomes ranging from $9,000 in additional earnings in California to over $75,000 in New Jersey. After the first year, the income eligibility threshold continues to increase through the fourth year of the program, when all families under 250 percent SMI who participate in eligible activities will be guaranteed access to care if they choose to apply.

Today, Alejandra Londono Gomez released a new fact sheet, Build Back Better Immediately Increases Eligibility for Child Care Assistance. The analysis details the current CCDBG initial annual income eligibility limit in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The analysis also looks at the income eligibility threshold for the first year of the BBB Act's child care program.  

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