The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) recently released a fact sheet that estimates the increased funding that each state will receive in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) in 2023.
CCDBG received a $1.9B increase in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriation Act, a 30% increase to its total funding. CCDBG is a critical support for families with low incomes who, without access to assistance, would likely be unable to afford their current child care arrangements. However, the program was only able to serve 1 in 6 eligible children in 2019, due to it being inadequately funded.
The increase in the FY2023 Appropriations bill is a step in the right direction and will result in more children and families being eligible for child care, though additional support for the child care workforce and infrastructure is needed to improve affordability, accessibility, and the quality of care available.