Federal Policy: Recommendations to Support Home-Based Child Care

Colorful playground equipment in front of brick houses with red awnings and bushes.

Any effort to ensure equitable access to child care must include home-based child care providers, both
licensed and unlicensed. Federal investments in child care must prioritize increasing the quality of and access
to home-based child care.

The home-based child care sector needs dedicated, additional funding that:

  1. Increases reimbursement for providers to sustain their operations and serve more families, and
  2. Builds essential infrastructure for them in the form of networks.
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Child Care at Risk: How Federal Funding Cuts—and Government Shut Down— Hurts Families and Home-Based Providers

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October 9, 2025
Families and child care providers are being squeezed as pandemic-era supports expire and federal funding stalls. Across the country, home-based providers are struggling to stay open amid lower reimbursements and rising costs. Without stronger federal investment in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), tens of thousands of children could lose access to care.
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Hispanic Heritage Is Heritage for Everyone

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Carmela is a family, friend and neighbor caregiver who is proud of her Hispanic heritage. Learn more about how her Hispanic heritage shapes her work as a HBCC caregiver in this blog.
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A woman and a smiling child pose together in a car, the child hugging her closely.

Grandparents: A Pillar of Strength and Love in Home-Based Child Care

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September 8, 2025
Grandparents are unsung heroes of home-based child care. Millions of grandparents are stepping up all across the U.S. to provide primary care for their grandchildren. Stories like Tracy Owen, Natalie Whitesides, and Maria Buehler show how grandparents balance work, retirement, or other responsibilities while providing loving care.
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