November 2021 Monthly Update
MEMBERSHIP
We are pleased to welcome the following organizations as new NCFN members!
Child Care Council of Kentucky, Inc.
Early Opportunities
Maher Charitable Foundation
Oakland Starting Small and Strong
The Children’s Cabinet
The full list of NCFN Members is available on the NCFN website.
RESEARCH & REPORTS
LIIF Shares Stories of Co-located Child Care Providers
The Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) published a piece with key insights and reflections from child care operators serving children in facilities co-located with affordable housing developments in California, New York, and Washington, DC. The blog post complements another report NCFN and LIIF produced earlier in the year on policy actions for incentivizing co-located developments. Read the blog post >
BPC Releases Report on Economic Impacts of Gaps in Child Care Supply
A new study from the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) analyzes data from 34 states and Washington, DC to quantify state-by-state and national economic impacts of missing child care supply. Researchers estimate that gaps in child care supply cause cumulative national economic losses ranging from $142-217 billion annually. With the study, BPC also released an interactive map presenting data on gaps and economic impacts by state, congressional district, and county. Read the report > View the interactive map >
Hunt Institute Publishes Resource for Policymakers on Child Care Provisions of Build Back Better
The Hunt Institute released a brief report highlighting key provisions affecting children under age 5 in the Build Back Better framework. The report includes specific information on income eligibility cutoffs, timelines for use of funds, and other important information for state and local policymakers. Read the report >
National Association of Counties Tracks County-Level ARPA Investments
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has tracked and published nearly 200 plans for distribution of the $65 billion allocated to county governments in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). NACo’s online database allows users to filter by topic, state, and county. View the interactive database >
CBPP Analyzes Poverty Alleviation Measures in Build Back Better
New analysis of the Build Back Better plan by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) considers steps the legislation would take to holistically address child poverty in the United States, through child care and education investments, tax incentives for low income families, affordable housing subsidies, and other measures. Read the report >
POLICY UPDATE
President Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill into Law
On Monday, November 15, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684), a $1.2 trillion public works bill. The package is the largest investment in the country’s infrastructure in decades and is a significant bipartisan victory for the Biden Administration.
The legislation directs $550 billion in new funding to modernize America's physical infrastructure needs, such as roads, bridges, and railways, including:
$65 billion to expand high-speed Internet access;
$110 billion for roads, bridges and other projects;
$55 billion to deliver clean drinking water for households, businesses, schools and child care centers, including $15 billion to replace aging water pipes across the country and the establishment of a grant program for voluntary school and child care program lead testing;
$65 billion for clean power infrastructure; and
$66 billion for rail transportation.
FY 2022 Appropriations Update
To avoid a shutdown of the federal government, Congress must reach an agreement on the FY 2022 appropriations bills by December 3. This will likely require a short-term continuing resolution (CR), but the anticipated length of the CR is unclear. Democrats are advocating for an extension until Christmas, while Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is suggesting a CR that lasts through February or March 2022.
Build Back Better Update
The $1.75 trillion social spending package containing much of the Biden Administration’s economic agenda, also known as the Build Back Better (BBB) Act (H.R. 5376), could be voted on in the House of Representatives this week (November 15-19). If BBB passes the House, the economic package still faces significant hurdles before it becomes law. The Senate is expected to modify the legislation, with hundreds of amendments anticipated. If the amended legislation passes the Senate, the House is required to vote again on the revised bill before it goes to President Biden’s desk for approval. No timetable has been announced for the Senate’s consideration of BBB, but it is expected that the chamber won’t act until December at the earliest.
The version of BBB now under consideration in the House was released on Wednesday, November 3. It includes funding for universal Pre-K and the establishment of a new early learning entitlement program for children five and under. A section-by-section summary of the child care and Pre-K provisions is available here.
Highlights of BBB provisions related to early care and education include:
State participation in one or both of Pre-K expansion and the new child care entitlement program is optional.
States that opt to participate in the “Birth Through Five Child Care and Early Learning Entitlement Program” would be required to use 50% of allotted funds on expanding access to child care subsidies; 25% of funds on child care supply and quality building activities; and 25% of funds on either subsidy and grant expansion or supply and quality building, and up to 7% on the cost of administration.
With respect to child care facilities:
Unfortunately, the House Ways and Means child care infrastructure stand-alone investment of $15 billion was not included in the legislation, but facilities grants are an option within the quality set-aside of the child care entitlement program;
CDFIs are among the entities explicitly mentioned in legislative text as eligible to administer state child care quality resources;
Construction is only permitted from FY22-24, with an option for Secretary approval in future years;
Outside of the “transitional” program years of FY22-FY24, states must abide by the current CCDBG statute when allocating facilities grants, which means that states cannot use grant resources to make structural changes to facilities;
The acquisition and/or purchase of land or facilities is not expressly allowed and may be interpreted as being expressly prohibited in all years;
Legislative language bars sectarian places of worship from receiving facilities grants for construction / structural renovations.
NEWS & RESOURCES
Member News
First Five Nebraska released a policy brief on using ARPA dollars to support the state’s ECE workforce. Read the paper >
Reinvestment Fund awarded $1.5 million in grants to Philadelphia-area ECE providers under the Philadelphia Emergency Fund for Stabilization of Early Education. Read the press release >
Other News
Washington Post: Five Myths About Child Care. Read the article >
The Atlantic: American Parents Don’t Get How Much Life is About to Improve. Read the article >
NPR: Child Care Is Hard to Find for 1 in 3 Working Families. Read the article >
Wall Street Journal: Millions of Workers Stay Home to Watch Young Children as Daycares Struggle. Read the article >
City of Louisville (KY): Louisville Metro Begins Review of Zoning Regulations With Goal of Providing Greater Access to Child Care. Read the article >
Upcoming Events
LISC: Child Care Design Workshop for Architects, Landscape Architects, and Designers
November 18 | 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET
Register here >
NAFCC: Call for Proposals for NAFCC Annual Conference
Proposals Due December 17 // Conference June 2022 in San Francisco
Submit here >