Enrollment of Priority Populations and Child Demographic Diversity Profiles: Links With State Subsidy Policies

• In Event: Understanding the Use and Impact of Public Funding in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Subsidies via the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) are used to improve child care access, and CCDF law prioritizes specific groups of children/families to promote more equitable access. We conducted a latent profile analysis using a national dataset of centers (n = 3,474) utilizing subsidies. We identified subgroups of centers based on enrollment of children from prioritized populations and diverse backgrounds, then used multinomial logistic regression with state CCDF policies to predict profile membership. Centers either (1) offered a breadth of services for priority populations, (2) responded to specific needs, or (3) placed less emphasis on priority populations. State policies predicted profile membership. Findings suggest states can improve equitable child care access by aligning priority populations with demonstrated needs.

Authors

• Jason Hustedt, University of Delaware

• Gerilyn Slicker, University of Nevada - Las Vegas

• Cara L. Kelly, University of Oklahoma

• Alex Faucheux, University of Nevada - Las Vegas