Why more than 400,000 kids are on waitlists for federal childcare assistance

The Child Care and Development Fund, the U.S. government's main source of funding to help low-income families pay for childcare, serves over 1.6 million children in a typical month.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7794x5196+0+0/resize/7794x5196!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fce%2Fc8%2F68bce25748a6a7626b5c85eb427c%2Fgettyimages-2261524067.jpg' alt='A student plays with interlocking toys at the Connecticut State University Early Learning Center in New Britain, Ct. on March 12, 2025.'/><p>The Child Care and Development Fund, the U.S. government's main source of funding to help low-income families pay for childcare, serves over 1.6 million children in a typical month.</p><p>(Image credit: Mark Mirko)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5920326' />