Finding quality, affordable child care can be difficult for any parent. For those with a special needs child, it can also be a very confusing and emotional experience. Rebecca Freshour looks at what the law says, and what parents need to know to find care for their children.

Newsflash is it isn't—many families know this too well—but a new national survey finds that child care is expensive. In fact, in 49 states, child care fees for two kids of any age exceed the median cost of rent. Low-wage families with very young children are especially hard hit. The report calls for more federal, state, and local investment in high-quality child care. (The 2006 federal budget has been criticized for failing to provide adequate child care funds for all low-wage workers.)

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.

Provides information on family services, family child care homes, adoption, scholarships, elder care, volunteers, and non-profit spouse clubs. A helpful source of information on programs, and eligibility requirements for the US Coast Guard.

Too many children who go into foster care emerge years later with few skills, no high school diploma, and serious educational deficits. Letitia L. Star reports on a Chicago program that helps.

The Urban Institute reports that interviews with 13 state SCHIP administrators in September and October 2003 indicate that cuts to SCHIP in FY 2003 were more widespread than in 2002. Two of the study states reduced benefits for children and two-thirds reported new efforts to simplify enrollment and renewal procedures. Large states such as California and New York implemented innovative initiatives to enroll more children or dramatically expanded outreach spending. Every state participating in the survey reported that SCHIP programs retained strong political support and fared quite well, relative to other state programs.

If you care about children, it's time to take up the challenge of understanding what federal budget trends mean for the programs aimed at helping children and families. As the annual budget battle continues in Washington, D.C., Urban Institute senior fellow Eugene Steuerle explains why children's programs are getting squeezed.

Child care subsidies help low-income families work and leave welfare, but even during a period of progress toward providing child care assistance to families in the late 1990s, the majority of eligible children went without. CLASP reports that the growth of child care funding essentially stopped in FY 2001, and funding shortfalls are forcing states to adopt policies that hurt families' efforts towards employment and earnings.

Low-wage mothers spoke out about child care arrangements in two MDRC studies that offer a reality check for policymakers and advocates concerned with quality child care and early development. Based on their findings, researchers say policymakers need to focus on both formal and informal care, and how these arrangements are often combined in the daily lives of low-income children. They should also note that families have limited control over their child care options -- money, sparse options in low-resource neighborhoods, and job inflexibility all play a big role.

Families who receive child care subsidies are more likely to work and to stay off welfare. Without quality child care, children are less safe and families less secure -- yet only one out of seven children who are eligible for federal child care assistance receives it. This CLASP fact sheet has the data and the arguments for including adequate childcare funding in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reauthorization legislation pending in Congress.