Issue brief

The purpose of this resource from the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance is to provide questions for licensing administrators and their staff to help identify possible inequities in the early care and education (ECE) licensing system. The questions are in 8 sections: (1) Licensing Leadership, (2) Licensing Staff, (3) Communication, (4) Provider and Family Voices, (5) Data and Evaluation, (6) Regulations, (7) Prelicensure and Initial Support for Providers, and (8) Provider Training and Technical Assistance. This resource supports equity.

This issue brief from the Government Alliance on Race and Equity focuses on unifying strategies and structures that facilitate a deep, widespread, and sustained commitment to racial equity across the whole of government.

This report by the Children's Equity Project, Child Care Aware of America, and Equity Research Action Coalition addresses the flaws in Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS) around equity by reviewing 11 of the 14 equity indicators developed by the Children's Equity Project. States can use these indicators to inform QRIS redesign efforts to advance equity and improve transparency for families. This resource supports equity.

This brief is based on a review of selected states’ school-age childcare licensing requirements.  It draws on a scan of state childcare licensing regulations conducted by the Afterschool Alliance; it also includes information from the National Center on Afterschool and Summer Enrichment (NCASE).  The brief offers state childcare licensing agencies a list of key considerations for creating school-age licensing requirements that meaningfully address school-age needs in areas including:

This implementation guide from the Office of Child Care focuses on the use of contracts to stabilize child care and support overall improvements to the child care system. Potential challenges to using contracts are identified and strategies and resources are offered to overcome concerns. State examples are provided. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.

The Office of Child Care strongly recommends CCDF Lead Agencies use funds to expand access to high-quality child care by increasing the use of contracts or grants. This issue brief provides an overview of the benefits of using contracts for child care slots, how to address hurdles in the use of contracts for slots, considerations for implementing contracts, how to communicate the need for the use of contracts, and how to access technical assistance. This resource supports the COVID-19 response.

The Bipartisan Policy Center conducted an analysis of 184 of the Tribal Child Care Plans and other data to identify ways to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native children, both living on and off reservations. Recommendations from the review include using a data-driven method to determine funding needed, funding and technical assistance for mental health consultation, streamlining the Tribal CCDF plans, and strengthening culturally relevant curriculum. This resource supports equity.

This issue brief from the Center for American Progress highlights strategies that will provide transformative structural change to equitably reach all families who need care. The strategies include compensation and better working conditions; improving data systems to identify inequities and measure impacts of targeted resources; partnering with providers and parents; targeting funds to underinvested communities; and calibrating the true cost of care.  

This issue brief by Temescal Associates and the How Kids Learn Foundation is designed to help AfterSchool staff understand and respond to the needs of youth who are grieving or experiencing loss due to the pandemic, the opioid crisis, or rising gun and racial violence. It reviews topics such as prevalence, effects on young people, grief-responsive teaching, and self-care for adults. There is also an in-depth webinar that features the author and panelists.   

The Urban Institute created this fact sheet to provide a summary of previous research on changing subsidy policies and procedures. It spells out seven ways states can make child care more accessible and equitable for families and more efficient for agencies. This resource supports equity.