Create and distribute a child care resource guide
Finding sources of affordable, quality child care has long been difficult for families living below the NPPS.
Use your network to research and consolidate information on affordable child care options in your area. Include information on financial resources that help cover child care costs for families living below the NPPS.
To get started:
Identify child care, after-school, and summer programs, noting eligibility, cost, and hours of operation. Research your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency (see below).
Explore government-funded child care benefit programs for which low-income families in your region may qualify, such as Child and Dependent Care Credit, your state’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs.
Launch a communications campaign to share all relevant information, utilizing newsletters, social media, community meetings, or any of your other public platforms.
Best Practices / Innovative Programs
Child Care Aware of America works with state and local Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&Rs) agencies across the country to help people learn of local child care resources and information.
Benefits.gov describes the Child Care and Development Fund and eligibility requirements and helps parents to learn about the program by state, territory, and tribe. The Child Care and Development Fund provides assistance to low-income families that need child care due to work, work-related training, and/or attending school.
The Pew Charitable Trusts provides this resource, updated as of 2017, to help people learn about federally-funded child care benefits.
