This project uses national data to examine the degree to which child care centers accepting subsidies serve demographically diverse children. The federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) provides subsidies for families from low-income and underserved backgrounds. This is seen as a way to support more equitable access to high-quality care. Because demand for CCDF exceeds the number of slots, it is necessary to further prioritize which children and families are served. Federal CCDF regulations set priorities including children with special needs and those experiencing homelessness, and state CCDF policies further determine which families qualify. Data sources for the study are the 2019 National
Survey of Early Care and Education and the 2018 CCDF Policies Database. We have partnered
with former DIEEC graduate assistants now at the University of Nevada – Las Vegas and the
University of Oklahoma at Tulsa to carry out this study.

Additional information can be found on the Secondary Analysis of Child Care and
Early Education Data Grants website.