FCF National Systems Team Partners to Study Effects of American Rescue Plan Act

Throughout 2024, members of the National Systems team partnered with the National Children’s Facilities Network to tell the story of how the American Rescue Plan Act impacted child care facilities. The team connected with public and nonprofit leaders nationwide, surveyed state officials, and pored through federal reporting databases to map how states, Tribes, and localities invested ARPA dollars into child care centers and homes.

The resulting report documents important innovations that made large-scale, effective facility funding possible across many states. From better data and technology, comprehensive technical assistance, and new ways to surmount regulatory barriers, states and their partners built a new roadmap for what impactful, sustained facilities investments can look like. 

First Children’s Finance President and CEO Heidi Hagel Braid recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to share and discuss these findings with the Early Childhood Facilities Working Group, a collaborative effort of child care think tanks, philanthropy and CDFIs. “We hope this report inspires policymakers at all levels of government,” Hagel Braid said. “There is not just one approach to building up our child care infrastructure, but as this report demonstrates, many states and organizations have developed fair, accountable, and high-impact models for facility investment at any scale.” 

To learn more, read the full report.