Nationally, an estimated 4.6 million children in working families (32 percent) lack access to the child care facilities they need. The shortage is even more severe in lower-income urban and rural communities, where unmet need often exceeds 50 percent. But under federal law, child care operators cannot use funds from the Child Care and Development Block Grant for new buildings or substantial renovations to help meet this need.

IFF supports creating a new capital fund that invests in CDFIs that specialize in developing high-quality child care facilities, and assists them in leveraging additional private capital for this purpose. IFF also supports continued and increased funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. In Congress, Representative Carolyn McCarthy of New York and Senator Robert Casey of Pennsylvania have introduced the Child Care Facilities Financing Act (H.R. 1685 and S. 1002) to address the unmet capital needs of early care and education providers in low-income communities.

Please contact your Senator and Member of Congress and ask them to cosponsor this important legislation.

Download a summary of the Child Care Facilities Financing Act here.

Please click here to learn more about the Early Childhood Construction Grant (ECCG) Program technical assistance webinar, being held on September 29, 2011.

IFF Research

	Early Care and Education: The Top 10 Counties, Municipalities, and Chicago Community Areas in Need of Care Modeled on IFF’s 2003 statewide needs assessment for early care and education (ECE), Moving Towards A System, this report finds significant gaps for all types of care and ranks counties, larger municipalities, and Chicago community areas according to their overall need, as well as to their need of specific programs, such as general child care, Head Start and Early Head Start, and PreK.  [PDF 7.9KB]
	Assets, Gaps, and a Way Forward: Reports on Early Childhood Care and Education This report series was completed by IFF’s Building Blocks program to strengthen local early care and education capacity in 11 Illinois community areas.
	By Any Measure: A Report to the Community on IFF’s Work in the Field of Nonprofit Child Care in Illinois A detailed report of IFF’s leadership role in the area of research, planning, financing, and design of child care facilities. [PDF 1.74MB]
	The Chicago Early Childhood Care and Education Needs Assessment This study, the first of its kind, ranked Chicago's 77 communities in terms of need for full-day, licensed child care services. [PDF 535KB]
	Moving Towards A System: Preview A preview of the full report on the Statewide Early Childhood Needs Assessment that summarizes the study’s scope, highlights findings, and provides examples of how the data can be used. [PDF 120KB] To download individual community profiles, visit our Statewide Early Childhood Needs Assessment page. [More]
	Moving Towards A System: Tools, Benchmarks and Standards The full report on the Statewide Early Childhood Needs Assessment that presents findings on the highest-need communities and in each area of care and education assessed. [PDF 1.3MB] To download individual community profiles, visit our Statewide Early Childhood Needs Assessment page. [More]
	Moving Towards A System: The Community Profiles Fact Book A collection of profiles that summarize the demographic, supply, and demand data for each of the 168 communities assessed. Download the Background and Introduction to this publication. [PDF 124KB] To download individual community profiles, visit our Statewide Early Childhood Needs Assessment page. [More]
	Early Childhood Care and Education Fact Book: Planning for Chicago’s Children in the New Century This book is a community-planning document focusing on the top 20 Chicago communities needing additional licensed child care resources. [PDF 1199KB]
	We Need More Day Care Centers A planning tool for community organizations and government agencies, our study shows that Latina mothers want preschool child care centers in their neighborhoods. [PDF 1088KB]
	Great Spaces, Fresh Places Documentation of three classroom makeovers, a collaboration between IFF and The Chicago MOST Initiative. [PDF 208KB]
	Getting Ready: Preparing to House Your Pre-Kindergarten Program An interactive, online tool to help applicants for ISBE Pre-Kindergarten grants plan ahead for housing their program. In three steps, the tool will help an organization assess its space needs, evaluate the fit of any facility with its program goals, and identify any renovation or modification needs. [PDF 91KB]
	The Building Blocks of Design: A Handbook for Early Childhood Development Facilities A guide and reference tool for early childhood development providers who want to improve or expand their centers. The handbook covers everything from choosing a paint color for a simple cosmetic enhancement to planning a major construction project. [PDF 427KB]
	A Century of Caring for Children A history of federal and state child care legislation and programs for low-income children in Illinois. [PDF 74KB]
	The Economic Impact of the Early Care and Education Industry in Illinois A study conducted by the National Economic Development and Law Center, and reported by IFF, Action for Children and Chicago Metropolis 2020. This report demonstrates for the first time the direct economic benefits of the early care and education industry as well as its long-term impact on the Illinois economy. Executive Summary [PDF 608KB] Full Report [PDF 1.76MB]
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