Attention Early Childhood Educators: Do Tax Credits Impact Quality?

May 22, 2008

The Kids Are Priority One Coalition often collaborates with the National Women's Law Center (NWLC) on various projects and campaigns. In that spirit, we are passing along this request for information from NWLC.

NWLC is trying to analyze whether tax credits that take quality into account are effective in improving child care quality and in encouraging the use of high-quality child care.  As you may know, Arkansas offers a tax credit for families with child care expenses, which is refundable if families pay for children to participate in quality child care facilities.  The fact that the credit is refundable means that some low-income families may be able to take advantage of it despite having no income tax liability.
 
To help understand the relationship between tax credits and quality in Vermont, NWLC would like feedback from early childhood educators on the following questions:
  1. In your experience, do families claim the quality child care tax credit?  Do you know whether it is difficult for them to do so?  How about low-income families?
  2. In your opinion, has the tax credit affected parents’ choice of child care providers?
  3. Do you think that the tax credit has caused providers to seek accreditation and/or quality status from the state?
  4. What do you think is the most effective strategy for improving child care quality and encouraging parents to use accredited or state-recognized quality child care?
NWLC would greatly appreciate your taking a few moments to email them with your responses.

Thank you,

Kim Friedman
Organizing Director
Kids Are Priority One Coalition
(802) 348-9879
kfriedman@svcable.net