Including Family Child Care in State and
City-funded Pre-K Systems: Opportunities
and Challenges

Two children play Jenga on a carpeted floor; one builds while the other watches closely.

Virtually all states use a variety of settings to operate center-based pre-K, often making extensive use of child care or Head Start classrooms in addition to public schools. About half of the pre-K programs in 24 states allowed Family Child Care homes (FCCs) to receive state pre-K dollars either directly from the state or through subcontracting.  This report examines the policies and provision of state-funded pre-K in FCCs in these 24 states and in four large cities: Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. This is followed by a discussion of the potential opportunities and challenges derived from an analysis of current state policies and the FCC literature base. Recommendations are provided for state or city leaders considering inclusion of FCCs in their pre-K programs.  

The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month is particularly important for the early care and education (ECE) field. For over 25 years, Jacqueline Chávez has provided child care to her community as a family child care provider.
La celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana es particularmente importante para el sistema del cuidado infantil. Por más de 25 años, Jacqueline Chávez ha brindado cuidado infantil bilingüe a su comunidad como una proveedora de cuidado infantil familiar.
Durante los últimos meses, el equipo de Home Grown ha trabajado con líderes del sector y con nuestras comunidades asesoras para definir un conjunto de principios sobre cómo debería ser un sistema de cuidado infantil universal que integre plenamente el cuidado infantil en entornos domésticos. El resultado es nuestro primer borrador de una visión compartida: Cuidado infantil universal, construido desde el hogar.