After$chool Funding: Child Care Development Block Grant

Welcome to our series on funding and sustainability for afterschool and summer learning programs! We will be sharing information about top funding streams and how to access them every Friday during this campaign. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to make sure you get regular updates.

Federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds provide significant support for afterschool and summer programs. Almost $13 billion in CCDBG funding flows to states through mandatory and discretionary funding. These funds support care for children aged 0 to 13. And with 44% of those children who are served by the funds being 5 or older, afterschool and summer learning programs are often important providers of that care!

CCDBG funds are distributed mostly through a voucher/subsidy program to eligible low-income families. States can do grants and competitions to disperse these funds directly to providers as well. Child care licensing requirements can be a barrier to accessing these funds, but since the pandemic, we have seen more states address this challenge, and much work is underway to continue to increase accessibility to these funds for afterschool and summer programs in many states. State afterschool networks are a great resource.

Quick facts about CCDBG:

• Who controls the money: The child care agency for your state, territory, or tribal entity administers these federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children & Families via block grants.
   
• Who is eligible: Generally, programs that serve families with children from birth to 13 whose income is no more than 85% of the state median income.
   
• How programs receive funds: Programs must be registered with their state and approved to accept subsidy in order to participate. Once registered, programs can accept students from eligible families and report enrollment to the state to receive payment from the state for care. Some states offer grants directly to programs. Programs should review child care agency regulations, which vary by state.
   
• How parents and families can apply for vouchers: Parents should visit ChildCare.Gov, click on their state, then the box for “Financial Resources." Note that state programs may have different names in different states and won’t always be called CCDBG — for example, Oregon calls their program Employment Related Day Care (ERDC). Parents can also reach out to their statewide afterschool network to learn if their state has any child care-funded grant programs.
   
• How much is a typical family subsidy: Subsidy amounts operate on a sliding scale based on income. Some families pay a portion of the program cost as a co-pay. Amounts vary based on state policy. However, nationally about 42% of families with reported income meet qualifications to not be charged a co-pay.

An example of a state that operates a school-age grant program through CCDBG funding is Utah, which administers School-Age Quality Grants of up to $76,000 for afterschool enrichment programs serving elementary-age youth enrolling large percentages of low-income students and meeting compliance and quality standards. States under a new Child Care Final Rule are now encouraged to offer more grants and contracts in underserved areas.

SHADES of Development, in Knoxville, Tennessee, is one example of a program that is reimbursed for serving families with low incomes through CCDBG vouchers. To become eligible for the funds, SHADES of Development applied to the state child care agency, underwent registration procedures, and then was placed on a list of approved programs.

SHADES is a private non-profit organization that provides school-based afterschool and summer learning programs to students in Knoxville and Knox County. It uses an adventure learning approach to connect academics, college and career readiness, and job-ready durable skills such as communication, negotiation, and problem-solving to afterschool and summer learning activities. SHADES also provides a healthy snack, homework help, and high dosage, low ratio (1:3) tutoring. In addition, SHADES begins teaching the importance of volunteerism, service learning, and advocacy at an early age, allowing students to see how service to others strengthens the community.

To learn more about CCDBG (also known as Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) grants, visit our School-Age Child Care page. You can also find out more about CCDBG in your state by visiting the home page of your administering agency.