Today, CLASP released the full collection of fact sheets illustrating the impact of the Murray-Kaine proposal’s Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) investment in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, DC. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) recently announced the new child care and early education proposal for inclusion in the federal budget reconciliation package. Nationally, CLASP finds that an estimated 1 million+ children could benefit from the proposal. These fact sheets show the proposal’s potential state-level impacts and highlight the current status of families and providers, as well as the opportunities for positive change through this vital investment. Find your state’s fact sheet here. 

Child care is too expensive and far too difficult to find for most families, while providers make way too little. CCDBG is the primary federal source of child care assistance for families with low incomes. However, a historic lack of investment in the program means it only reaches a small portion of families—serving only 1 in 7 eligible children nationally. As further demonstrated by the pandemic, this lack of access and resources for families and low wages for providers will never sustain a viable, equitable system.  

The Murray-Kaine proposal–which includes $72 billion in additional CCDBG funds–will provide direct support to children and families, build up the supply of child care, and invest in the child care workforce. It will also invest in preschool, Head Start, and establish a pilot program for states that would further expand access and affordability to reach families with higher incomes and cap families’ child care expenses. For far too long, the child care and early education system has been in crisis. The need to act is urgent, and this proposal is an opportunity to begin taking action to create a system that works for all families and providers.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Alycia Hardy at [email protected] or Stephanie Schmit at [email protected].