Goals and Purposes 400-28-10-10

(Revised 10/1/11 ML #3278)

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The goals of the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) are to:

Allow states maximum flexibility in developing child care programs and policies that best suit the needs of the children and caretakers within the state

Promote caretaker choice to empower working caretakers to make their own decisions on the child care that best suits their family’s needs

Encourage states to provide consumer education information to help caretakers make informed choices about child care

Assist states to provide child care to caretakers trying to achieve independence from public assistance

Assist states in implementing the health, safety, licensing, and registration standards established in state regulations

The purpose of the CCDF is to increase the availability, affordability, and quality of child care services. The program offers Federal funding to States, Territories, Indian Tribes, and the tribal organizations in order to:

Provide low-income families with the financial resources to find and afford quality child care for their children

Enhance the quality and increase the supply of child care for all families, including those who receive no direct assistance under the CCDF

Provide caretakers with a broad range of options in addressing their child care needs

Strengthen the role of the family

Improve the quality of, and coordination among, child care programs and early childhood development programs

Increase the availability of early childhood development, and before/after-school care services

The federal regulations provide the basis for administration of the CCDF by providing that Lead Agencies:

Maximize caretaker choice through the use of certificates and through grants and contracts

Include in their programs a broad range of child care providers, including center -based care, family child care, in-home care, care provided by relatives, and faith based child care providers

Provide quality child care that meets applicable requirements;

Coordinate planning and delivery of services at all levels

Design flexible programs that provide for the changing needs of families;

Administer the CCDF responsibly

Design programs that provide uninterrupted service to families and providers, to the extent statutorily possible

In addition to the monies to be used for child care payments, quality monies in the grant are used for:

Licensing

Resource and referral services

Monies specified for services to specific children population groups such as infants and toddlers