Child care subsidies from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) are designed to help families living at or below 150 perfect of the federal poverty guidelines afford care for their children. Speaking with Dr. Ajay Chaudry in May, we learned that child care subsidies here in Oregon reach only 11 percent of eligible families.
What If Oregon Expanded Child Care Subsidies?
The Urban Institute recently conducted research to determine the impact of expanding child care subsidies to all eligible families in the country. They found that in Oregon, such an expansion would mean that an additional 26,000 children could receive a subsidy in an average month. Roughly 1,300 children could be lifted out of poverty.
The Impact For Families With Kids Under 3
- 6,500 additional families could receive subsidies
- Roughly 300 mothers could join the workforce
- About 6,800 infants and toddlers could receive subsidies
We already knew that Oregon’s child care system is in crisis. Now we know how things could change if we fixed it.