Child Care: States Face Difficulties Enforcing Standards and Promoting Quality
HRD-93-13
Published: Nov 20, 1992. Publicly Released: Dec 07, 1992.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on states' efforts to ensure and promote quality child care through enforcement of state standards, focusing on: (1) state-sponsored activities to ensure that providers meet state child care standards; (2) states' problems in conducting these activities; and (3) how the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBG) affects state efforts to improve the overall quality of child care and the enforcement of state standards.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should assess state efforts to enforce their child care standards and improve quality of care while expanding child care services and, if necessary, modify HHS regulations that restrict state spending on quality. |
Closed – Not Implemented
The 104th Congress passed legislation that consolidated the four major federal child care programs, including the program discussed in this report, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). This action eliminates CCDBG, and thus negates the recommendations contained in this report concerning its implementation.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should lead and support efforts to determine the effectiveness of various ways to ensure compliance and promote quality among different types of child care settings. |
Closed – Implemented
HHS has, through its contractor, completed a study looking at key state standards (which relate to quality) and is undertaking a study looking at enforcement practices particularly concerning legally exempt care being purchased with CCDBG money. In its last annual conference, it presented state speakers to discuss and share with participants effective ways they had found for ensuring compliance with standards in different child care settings.
|
| Department of Health and Human Services | The Secretary of Health and Human Services should collect and disseminate information to states through newsletters, hotlines, or national conferences about activities that are working well in other states. |
Closed – Implemented
To date, HHS has held two conferences for states to provide technical assistance. It has also awarded an RFP to determine promising practices in states. Through its contractors, it has also completed studies on promising practices in states which it has presented at its conferences.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
Child care programsChildrenData collectionDay care centersstate relationsLicensesManagement information systemsQuality assuranceRegulatory agenciesState programs