States are currently grappling with how to leverage the massive influx of federal funding coming their way through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act; the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CCRSA) Act; and most recently through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
While these funds have focused on stabilizing this essential industry, the various pots of child care funding in ARPA provide a unique opportunity to lay the foundational infrastructure that centers racial equity to transform our child care system as we know it.
In the following process guide, we share a few ideas and guiding questions to help state leaders be strategic and lay the foundation for a more equitable early childhood system that meets the needs of families experiencing the most hardship, particularly families of color, all while facing quick timelines and no promise that this level of federal funding will continue.
