Predictors of Child Care Subsidy Use

Posted on March 2, 2006

When it comes to meeting the costs of child care, many low-income families eligible for help don't access it, and some states may not be doing enough to reach families not already involved in benefit programs. This National Center for Children in Poverty research brief looks at what's known about the characteristics of families using public subsidies for child care—and finds that, for example, families with children ages birth through 5 are more likely to use subsidies than those with older children, and African American mothers appear more likely to tap into child care help than mothers of other racial/ethnic backgrounds.