More than a work support? Issues around integrating child development goals into the child care subsidy system

Over the past decade, policymakers have become increasingly concerned about the development of low-income children, as well as about helping low-income parents work. Yet, all too often, child development and parental work goals are seen as separate. As a result, key parental work support services that affect children (such as child care subsidies) have not had a sustained focus on supporting the development of the children that they serve-even though subsidies are now estimated to serve more than 2 million low-income children. This article describes current approaches to child care subsidies, and identifies a number of the issues and opportunities facing those who want to integrate a stronger child development focus into the subsidy system. It concludes with a discussion of important questions that policyrnakers, practitioners, and researchers can explore if they want to help the subsidy system achieve a better balance between supporting parental work and supporting child development. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.