Suchergebnisse

Abstract
With limited federal requirements for block grants, states have developed very different welfare policies, often with onerous recertification or reporting requirements, creating barriers to continuous program enrollment. Examined through the framework of Administrative Burden, our study examines how changes to burdensome policies in states' Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) programs affect the length of children's continuous enrollment in child care through the CCDF program, known as subsidy "spells." We exploit state-level changes in three key policies during a 10-year period (2004–13) that capture administrative burden: (1) length of eligibility redetermination; (2) reporting requirements for income changes; and (3) grace period for care before termination. Using state fixed effects analyses in a sample of 38 states using data from the Administration for Children and Families and multiple other sources, we find that administrative burdens meaningfully and robustly affect continuous enrollment in CCDF; switching to a 12-month redetermination period, as required 2014 Child Care and Development Block Grant reauthorization, increases children's continuous enrollment in CCDF care (i.e., state median spell length) by 30%. In contrast, requiring all changes in family income to be reported while enrolled in CCDF decreases spell length by 7%. Results underscore the importance of reducing administrative burdens related to compliance costs to better support low-income citizens, especially those with young children, and improve child development.

Preschool policy is motivated by the notion that early childhood care and education increases school readiness, which, in turn, provides a foundation for lifelong advantages and greater success in adulthood. We question the degree to which this simple skill-building model is an effective framework for preschool policy: while investments in preschool education boost school readiness in the short run, some recent studies show that initial gains either quickly disappear or turn negative. Taking advantage of end-of-preschool gains requires considerable effort toward optimizing classroom learning experiences, integrating the learning goals of preschool and K–12 schooling, and pushing for new discoveries about early-life skills and capacities that preschools are uniquely positioned to target. Supporting parental employment and access to affordable childcare also benefit child development, so we argue that the preschool policy portfolio should include mechanisms that more broadly expand childcare access to support family capacities.

Background: Recent growth in subsidized preschool opportunities in the United States for low-income 4-year-old children has allowed federal Head Start programs to fund more slots for 3-year-old children. In turn, when Age-3 Head Start participants turn four, they may choose to switch into one of the many alternative care options or choose to stay in Head Start for a second year. Objectives: We analyze a nationally representative sample of Age-3 Head Start participants to examine whether children who stay in Head Start for a second year at Age 4 exhibit greater school readiness and subsequent cognitive and behavioral performance compared with children who switch out of Head Start into alternative care. We also examine differences between children who stay at the same Head Start center at Age 4 with those who switch to a different Head Start center. Research Design: Child fixed effects analyses coupled with inverse probability of treatment weights to remove observable, time-invariant differences between Head Start stayers and switchers. Subjects: Cohort of Age-3 Head Start attendees from the Head Start Impact Study. Measures: Child cognitive and behavioral skills assessed by trained administrators annually at ages 3–7. Results: Age-3 Head Start participants' outcomes do not differ at the end of preschool, kindergarten, or first grade based on their choice of Age-4 program. Staying at the same Head Start center for 2 years may be beneficial for behavioral skills. Conclusions: For low-income families, there exist many equally beneficial options to support their children's school readiness through public preschool programs.