Conclusion Basic regulations and the ability of states to enforce them are the foundation on which we as a nation can better protect and improve the lives of our children. The standards selected by NACCRRA represent the most basic, minimal regulations possible, yet the average score is 83 or 55 percent, a failing grade in any school in the country. According to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), over $12 billion in government funds are spent on child care each year. Most of this funding is through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the primary federal funding stream to states for child care. In addition, states transfer funds to CCDBG from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program or spend directly on child care from TANF. Congress has given the states wide latitude to establish regulations and to hold programs accountable, especially those programs receiving federal subsidies to serve children in families with low incomes.
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Given the large public investment in child care and the states’ failure to protect the safety and well-being of children, Congress must be more aggressive in holding states accountable. Congress must ensure that children are safe and that child care providers promote healthy child development. This means that Congress has a role in strengthening the regulations for child care centers—especially those subsidized through the CCDBG. There should be accountability for how federal money is spent. It is questionable whether states are currently meeting the minimum requirements in the current law, but even these requirements do not protect children. We support state flexibility, but there needs to be a floor to ensure that children are protected. The current practice of no or limited requirements endangers children, and states have not shown in the 18 years of CCDBG funding that they can put into place the requirements that parents expect and assume. We urge Congress to require higher minimum regulations for child care centers receiving federal dollars. NACCRRA recommends that Congress set minimum protections for children and strengthen the CCDBG law to:
NACCRRA’s Ranking of State Child Care Center Regulations and Oversight