By Rachel Wilensky, Karla Coleman-Castillo, and Wendy Cervantes
In the four months since inauguration, the Trump Administration has leveled a staggering number of threats on social programs–from executive orders to funding freezes and staff layoffs–that are already harming child care and early learning programs. These assaults on social infrastructure and aggressive moves to reshape the government are accompanied by increasing attacks on immigrants, many of whom rely on or provide child care and early education (CCEE). With a quarter of children under six coming from immigrant families and almost 20 percent of child care providers and early educators being immigrants, anti-immigrant policies directly affect families with young children and CCEE programs.1 This resource will briefly summarize the available data on immigrant children, families, and child care providers and early educators and examine the impact of the Trump Administration’s anti-immigrant policies on CCEE to date.
CLASP submitted this statement for the record in response to the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions “Hearing on Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget.”
CLASP submitted this statement for the record in response to the May 14, 2025 “Budget Hearing-Health and Human Services” of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations.
By Robin Buller
(Excerpt)
Stephanie Schmidt, the director of childcare and early education at the Center for Law and Social Policy, emphasized that the average cost of infant care in the US is $14,000 per year, with that number ticking up to closer to $25,000 a year in high-cost-of-living areas. “$5,000 gets you almost nowhere when you’re thinking about utilizing it to pay for the expenses of having a young child,” she said.
By Alyssa Fortner
Child care enables parents and caregivers to participate in the workforce, attend school and training programs, and take care of other responsibilities while their children are cared for in safe and stable early education programs. Despite its value, child care has historically been underfunded and inaccessible for the majority of those who need it. Because of this, the funding that states receive through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the main federal funding source to support families with low incomes in accessing child care, is a vital support for many across the country.
CCDF funding is provided through mandatory funding in the Social Security Act—referred to as the Child Care Entitlement to States—and discretionary funding in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) of 1990. States can receive additional child care funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Under CCDF, the amount of money each state receives annually is calculated using a formula that considers factors including the number of children receiving free or reduced-price lunches, the state share of children younger than five, and the state’s per capita income.
However, Congress has never adequately funded this program to serve all eligible children. For example, in CLASP’s most recent estimate, only 14 percent—or 1 in 7 children—had access to a CCDF subsidy based on state income eligibility requirements. Limited federal investments in state child care systems mean that far too many families are not getting the critical support that they need.
The historical inequities and systemic racism that plague the child care sector create additional barriers for families of color, including those who are eligible for CCDF. These barriers stem from a long history of policies and practices that often excluded, marginalized, or disproportionately harmed people of color. These impacts continue to be felt in many ways, including in the idea of who deserves care; difficult eligibility requirements; inequitable access to child care subsidies across racial and ethnic groups; and poverty-level wages for early educators of color, particularly Black and Hispanic providers. Working in child care often means low wages, a lack of benefits, and a physical and emotional toll on providers, all of which have created retention and recruitment challenges. This, in turn, has led to persistent shortages in the child care workforce—which further impacts access to care for families and the ability of providers to stay in a role they are passionate about. The impacts of this history have only continued to intensify and became increasingly evident due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLASP’s Stephanie Schmit authored an op-ed in OtherWords about what our country could look like without Head Start. It featured contributions from past Head Start students, parents, and educators to underscore the critical value of Head Start.
By Alyssa Fortner
Child care enables parents and caregivers to participate in the workforce, attend school and training programs, and take care of other responsibilities while their children are cared for in safe and stable early education programs. Despite its value, child care has historically been underfunded and inaccessible for the majority of those who need it. Because of this, the funding that states receive through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the main federal funding source to support families with low incomes in accessing child care, is a vital support for many across the country.
CCDF funding is provided through mandatory funding in the Social Security Act—referred to as the Child Care Entitlement to States—and discretionary funding in the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act (CCDBG) of 1990. States can receive additional child care funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). Under CCDF, the amount of money each state receives annually is calculated using a formula that considers factors like the number of children receiving free or reduced-price lunches, the state share of children younger than five, and the state’s per capita income.
However, Congress has never funded this program adequately to serve all eligible children. For example, in CLASP’s most recent estimate, only 14 percent—or 1 in 7 children—had access to a CCDF subsidy based on state income eligibility requirements. Limited federal investments in state child care systems mean that far too many families are not getting the critical support that they need. Additionally, the providers who accept these subsidies are receiving low reimbursement rates.
The historical inequities and systemic racism that plague the child care system creates additional barriers for eligible families of color. These barriers stem from a long history of policies and practices that often excluded, marginalized, or disproportionately harmed people of color. These impacts continue to be felt in many ways, including in the idea of who deserves care; difficult eligibility requirements; inequitable access to child care subsidies across racial and ethnic groups; and poverty-level wages for early educators of color, particularly Black and Hispanic providers. Working in child care often means low wages, a lack of benefits, and a physical and emotional toll, all of which have created retention and recruitment challenges. This, in turn, has led to a persistent shortage of the child care workforce—which further impacts access to care for families and the ability of providers to stay in a role they are passionate about. The impacts of this history have only continued to intensify and became increasingly evident due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This statement can be attributed to Cemeré James, interim executive director and president of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), and Wendy Chun-Hoon, incoming executive director and president of CLASP.
Washington, D.C., April 28, 2025—For over 50 years, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has worked to advance policies that support children, families, and individuals with low incomes, as well as people of color, immigrants, and other historically marginalized communities. In the first hundred days of President Trump’s second term, we have witnessed unprecedented threats to health, stability, security, and fundamental freedoms—disproportionately harming the most vulnerable. Efforts to dismantle the federal government put all of us at risk. Now, more than ever, our ability to understand, measure, and respond to these risks is critical.
In response, CLASP has launched a new tracker that compiles and updates the harmful actions taken by the Trump Administration—particularly through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by unelected billionaire Elon Musk—to dismantle the federal government. We will update the tracker weekly, as DOGE announces new directives and layoffs.
DOGE’s actions are having an immediate and devastating impact on workers, families, communities, and the government’s ability to function.
The harm includes:
History shows that an informed, engaged public is key to driving social change and economic stability. In a time of confusion and fear, this tracker helps cut through the chaos, offering clear, digestible information so communities can strategize and protect those most affected.
While CLASP’s mission focuses on marginalized communities, the tracker shows that these cuts impact people across all demographics. Children and families who rely on programs that support basic needs are already feeling the effects, but the federal workforce is also being hollowed out at an alarming rate.
DOGE’s so-called “efficiency” is a thinly veiled attempt to gut programs without Congressional oversight—benefiting Musk and fellow billionaires while destabilizing public services. The skilled civil servants who’ve dedicated their careers to making government work are being pushed out, their expertise dismissed.
We hope this tracker, alongside the work of our partners, shines a light on the real-world impacts of these cuts. CLASP remains committed to lifting the voices of those most affected and fighting for policies that truly support workers, families, and communities.
April 24 | Suma Setty and Rachel Wilensky spoke at a meeting organized by the Partnership for Community Action in New Mexico on immigration and safe space policies.
By The Boston Globe (The Editorial Board)
(Excerpt)
“Stephanie Schmit, director of child care and early education at the Center for Law and Social Policy, a Washington, DC-based antipoverty nonprofit, said while the federal government gives states child-care grants, that money has never come close to meeting the need, and most states struggle to find revenue sources to subsidize child care for low-income families. New Mexico, for example, recently used its land grant fund, which gets money from oil and gas production, to subsidize child care.”