Family Child Care: Innovative Programs Promote Quality (Testimony,
12/09/94, GAO/T-HEHS-95-43).

Many initiatives nationwide seek to improve the quality of family child
care.  These initiatives are financed both from public and private
sources, and many receive funding from more than one source.  Most of
the $8 billion in federal support available in fiscal year 1993 went to
subsidies to help parents pay for child care, but GAO estimates that
about $156 million was available for efforts to improve the quality of
care.  Among the 195 family child care quality initiatives GAO
identified, two federal sources were used most often: the Child Care and
Development Block Grant run by the Department of Health and Human
Services and the Child and Adult Care Food Program run by the
Agriculture Department.  GAO's on-site visits found that the initiatives
used the money from both private and public sources to fund a variety of
programs to enhance the quality of family child care, including training
providers; supplying them with equipment, educational materials,
financial aid, and other support; and linking them to resources and
professional associations.  Many welfare reform proposals are being
discussed, most of which would require large numbers of welfare mothers
to participate in education, training, and work programs.  This will
likely increase the use of family child care, making the enhancement of
the quality of care even more urgent.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-HEHS-95-43
     TITLE:  Family Child Care: Innovative Programs Promote Quality
      DATE:  12/09/94
   SUBJECT:  Child care programs
             State-administered programs
             Families
             Aid to families with dependent children
             Disadvantaged persons
             Welfare services
             Children
             Day care centers
             Education or training
             Funds management
IDENTIFIER:  AFDC
             Oregon
             Family-to-Family Project
             Save the Children's Neighborhood Child Care Network
             Child Care and Development Block Grant
             USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program
             
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