WASHINGTON D.C. — The Child Care for Every Family Network (The Network) applauds the Biden Harris Administration’s continued commitment to lowering child care costs for families while ensuring providers of all types are paid the wages they deserve for the incredibly important work they do.

Announced on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 by Vice President Harris, a new Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) will:

• Cap child care co-payments for working families at no more than 7% of a family’s income and encourage states to waive co-payments for families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level;
• Improve financial stability for child care providers and incentivize their participation in the CCDBG program by ensuring they are paid on-time and based on program enrollment instead of attendance; and,
• Make it easier for families to access CCDBG by encouraging states to accept online applications for CCDBG enrollment and to make siblings of children who already receive the subsidy presumptively eligible for benefits.

“Our country’s current child care subsidy system is filled with barriers for the families and providers trying to use it, and this is especially true for families who speak languages other than English; are people of color; live with low- or no income; and/or have a child with a disability,” says Andrea Paluso, Co-Director of the Child Care for Every Family Network. “This proposed revision to the way CCDBG is administered is an important step in addressing some of those barriers. We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden Harris administration on building the universal, inclusive, culturally-responsive system we all need.”

“Thanks to the work of families, providers, organizers, and advocates, states like Oregon, California, New Mexico, and more have already been implementing their subsidy programs in alignment with these newly proposed rules, so we know that they work,” says Erica Gallegos, Co-Director of the Child Care for Every Family Network. “It’s really exciting that now all states will be moving toward making child care subsidy programs more accessible for providers and families.”

The Network—which includes over 800 local, state, and national organizations and parents and providers united to build a universal child care system—says that Congress must follow the Administration’s lead on increasing access to child care for more families and raising wages for providers with new funding. 

“This year, Congress must focus on securing the $16 billion increase in annual funding for child care that is currently included in the supplemental appropriations bill. This is made even more urgent by the expiration of ARPA relief dollars that is set to happen in September,” says Paluso. “Federal lawmakers must also work hand-in-hand with advocates, families, and providers across the country to pass permanent, adequate federal funding to build the equitable, universal child care system we need.” 

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