Expanding Access to High-Quality Care
These resources can help CCDF Lead Agencies and policymakers use ARP Act supplemental funding to do the following:
- Increase provider payment rates
- Explore the use of grants and contracts to increase the number of available child care slots
- Increase wages for early childhood education and child care professionals
- Expand access to high-quality care by building the supply for underserved populations
Increase Provider Payments
The following resources focus on topics related to increasing provider payments, including increases in base payments and the CCDF Budget Calculator.
Estimating the Impact of Improved Subsidy Payment Practices
This webinar explains how the Provider Cost of Quality Calculator (PCQC) can be used for a narrow cost analysis or to estimate program costs associated with policy decisions.
Increasing Base Payment Rates: Implementation Guide to ARP Act CCDF Discretionary Supplemental Funds
This guide outlines strategies for increasing subsidy payment rates for direct child care services.
Guidance on Estimating and Reporting the Costs of Child Care
This guidance supports Lead Agencies and their partners as they prepare detailed reports and create cost estimates to inform their rate setting.
CCDF Budget Calculator Instructions
The CCDF Budget Calculator is intended to help Lead Agencies understand the impact of three common factors on the CCDF budget.
Increasing Subsidy Payments and Setting Rates Including Cost of Care: Requirements and Options
This webinar will help Lead Agencies understand the requirements and options for including cost-of-care information when setting subsidy rates.
Supporting Reliable Subsidy Revenue for Child Care Providers While Maintaining Program Integrity
A webinar for CCDF Lead Agencies about the requirements and flexibilities that promote provider- friendly payment policies.
Profiles of Innovation: New Mexico Subsidy Rate Increases Based on Cost of Care
The New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department worked in partnership with external fiscal consultants to develop a robust alternative methodology.
Improving Payment Practices: Implementation Guide to ARP Act CCDF Discretionary Supplemental Funds
This guide outlines strategies for increasing subsidy revenue for providers, including payment by enrollment, flexible attendance policies, and paying prospectively.
Tips for Completing a Narrow Cost Analysis
This webinar taught participants how to use available data and the Provider Cost of Quality Calculator to conduct a narrow cost analysis.
Child Care Cost Estimation Modeling to Inform Decisionmaking
This webinar explains the stages of developing cost models and how cost models can inform policy decisions.
Increase Use of Grants and Contracts
The following resources focus on strategies to support the use of grants and contracts.
Implementation Guide: Strategies to Support Use of Contracts for Child Care Slots
This brief provides states, territories and Tribes with research to support the need and benefits of inclusive environments.
Innovative Strategies to Support Use of Contracts in Child Care Systems
This implementation guide focuses on the use of contracts to stabilize child care and support overall improvements to the child care system.
Increase Wages for Early Educators and Child Care Providers
The following resources focus on topics relating to increased wages for educators and providers.
Increasing Workforce Compensation Implementation Guide: Immediate Relief for the Workforce
The Office of Child Care recommends CCDF Lead Agencies use funds to expand access to high-quality child care by increasing provider compensation.
Provider Cost of Quality Calculator and The New Normal: What Is the Impact on Provider Costs?
This one-pager explains how the PCQC can help states, territories, and tribes understand the costs of mitigating COVID-19 in ECE settings.
Out-of-School Time Professional Development System Building Toolkit
This toolkit was designed to assist states as they build professional development systems inclusive of school-age providers.
Build Supply of Child Care in Communities with Lower Incomes
The following resources focus on topics relating to building supply of care, including developing a staffed family child care network.
Provider Cost of Quality Calculator
This tool is for estimating the annual costs and revenue of operating a center or home-based child care program at different quality levels.
Developing a Staffed Family Child Care Network: A Technical Assistance Manual
This technical assistance manual provides key considerations and questions necessary to implement Family Child Care (FCC) networks.
Staffed FCC Networks: A Research-Informed Strategy for Supporting High-Quality Family Child Care
This brief describes the support a staffed family child care (FCC) network can provide and the value it brings to the FCC profession.
Staffed Family Child Care Network Cost Estimation Tool
This tool is designed to assist state, regional and local organizations in better understanding the costs of operating a staffed family child care network.
Resource Guide: Starting and Operating a Child Care Business
This resource guide presents some basic steps to consider when planning and operating a child care business.
Using Child Care Subsidies to Support Special Populations
This brief highlights mechanisms for identifying special populations and strategies Lead Agencies can use to support access to child care.
Strategies to expand access to high-quality care.
See additional resources in the CCTAN library on this topic.