Family Access to Child Care
With financial support from the ACCM Pilot Program, parents were able to improve their child care arrangements and access stable, regulated child care. The ACCM Pilot Program allowed parents to enroll their children in child care programs that would have otherwise been outside of their budgets. These parents reflected on how the ACCM Pilot Program serves families that make too much to qualify for child care assistance and other government programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) but cannot afford to pay the out-of-pocket costs for care. Accordingly, nearly all parents from the focus groups described how child care subsidies from the ACCM Pilot Program allowed them to enroll their children in stable, regulated child care programs. Additionally, one parent of a school-age child discussed how the ACCM Pilot Program allowed their child to attend camps and out-of-school time programs that would have otherwise been too expensive. The reduced price also meant that families could enroll their children in care five days a week at a full-time schedule. According to ACCM Pilot data for December 2024, 79 percent of families participating in the ACCM Pilot Program at that time were enrolled in child care programs every weekday, most of whom were enrolled full time. 15
“I think at the time I was paying $300 every week and my payments are about like $175 now.” - Participant from parent focus group
During ACCM Pilot Program focus groups with child care providers, providers reiterated how the ACCM Pilot Program improved child care access for families in their communities that otherwise would not qualify for child care subsidies but make too little to afford to pay out-of-pocket.
“I feel like the program really fills that gap with people that don’t quite make the standard funding. It can definitely be a lifeline for those families.” – Participant from provider focus group
For many parents, a major benefit of the ACCM Pilot Program is that they could access high-quality programs. Financial support from the ACCM Pilot Program provided parents with broader access to programs. In turn, parents had more flexibility when looking for child care arrangements and could be more selective about where they enrolled their children. According to ACCM Pilot Program data, over half of all families participating in the ACCM Pilot Program for whom we had data on child care quality, enrolled their children in high-quality programs (i.e., STAR 4 or STAR 3 programs). Importantly, parents stressed that without the ACCM Pilot Program, these types of providers would have been out of reach. These parents were thrilled about the opportunity that high-quality care provided for their children, particularly younger children. These parents in the focus groups were excited that their children were able to have stable and consistent routines and enriching experiences throughout their day such as art and morning routines like circle time.
“I could have never afforded the center that I sent my kids to without the [ACCM Pilot]. It was four Keystone STARS. Amazing. The quality of care
15 This calculation only includes families that provided information about their children’s schedule.
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