Across Party Lines, Stakeholders Are Calling for Regulatory Reform in Child Care – The 74

Report on Child Care Licensing Reform and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction

The development of a robust child care supply system is essential for sustainable social and economic growth. Key components include potential operators to manage programs, trained child care providers, and sufficient funding to maintain operations. An often overlooked but critical factor is the role of licensing regulations, which can either facilitate or hinder the expansion and quality of child care services.

Licensing Regulations and Their Impact

Each U.S. state enforces its own licensing requirements, detailed in regulatory handbooks. There is growing bipartisan consensus on the need for regulatory reform aimed at streamlining licensing processes while maintaining essential health and safety standards. Such reforms align with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Challenges in Licensing: The Illinois Case Study

Illinois, despite significant investments in child care, faces challenges related to complex and sometimes contradictory licensing requirements. Examples include outdated mandates such as requiring blankets in cribs despite SIDS risk and carrying coins for emergency phone calls. These regulations delay program openings and create barriers for providers.

1. Complex and contradictory regulations
2. Delays in application processing exceeding 90-day timelines
3. Staff shortages in licensing agencies, with vacancy rates around 20%
4. High caseloads for licensing representatives compared to recommended standards
5. Lack of bilingual staff hindering access for diverse providers

Modernizing Licensing Regulations

States like Iowa have undertaken comprehensive reviews of their child care regulations to ensure rules are necessary, clear, and non-duplicative. This process involves:

• Evaluating each rule for purpose and clarity
• Removing outdated or redundant requirements
• Applying common sense to inspection procedures

These efforts support SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions) by promoting transparent and efficient governance.

Policy Innovations and Regional Examples

• Kansas and Missouri: Nonprofit organizations advocate for licensing evaluation to improve regulatory frameworks.
• Oregon and Washington: Implemented automatic zoning permissions for child care centers, reducing bureaucratic delays.
• Boise, Idaho: Reforms in 2023 consolidated applications and eliminated zoning approvals, reducing license approval time from three months to 25 days.

Balancing Reform and Safety

It is critical to distinguish between beneficial regulatory reform and harmful deregulation. Maintaining health and safety standards, such as child-to-adult ratios, is essential to protect children’s well-being (SDG 3). Attempts to loosen or eliminate these standards have raised concerns about child safety and quality of care.

Political Perspectives and Collaborative Efforts

Calls for regulatory reform have historically come from conservative groups emphasizing deregulation, while liberal groups focus on increased public investment. Recently, a coalition of child care stakeholders, including left-leaning organizations, convened to discuss improving child care regulations without compromising safety. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to:

• Right-sizing regulations to support providers and families
• Ensuring child safety and quality care
• Building a sustainable child care infrastructure

Conclusion: The Role of Regulatory Reform in Achieving SDGs

While regulatory reform alone cannot solve the fundamental funding challenges in child care, it plays a vital role in enhancing supply and infrastructure. Aligning child care policies with the Sustainable Development Goals supports:

1. Improved health and safety for children (SDG 3)
2. Access to quality early education (SDG 4)
3. Economic empowerment of women and families (SDG 5 and SDG 8)
4. Reduced inequalities through equitable access (SDG 10)
5. Effective and transparent institutions (SDG 16)

Ultimately, a combination of thoughtful regulatory reform and substantial public investment is necessary to build a child care system that meets the needs of American families and contributes to sustainable development.

Further Reading

For more detailed information on recent reports and analyses of child care regulatory reform, please refer to the publications by the Center for American Progress, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Opportunities Exchange, and other leading organizations.

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1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Focus on health and safety regulations in child care to prevent harm (e.g., SIDS prevention).
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Early childhood education and care quality improvements through licensing reforms and trained providers.
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Women’s economic leadership and empowerment through improved child care systems.
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Improving working conditions for child care providers and addressing staff shortages.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Addressing language barriers and equitable access to child care services.
6. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Zoning reforms to increase child care availability in neighborhoods.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age (implied through health and safety regulations).
   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage including quality essential health-care services (related to child care health standards).
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.2: Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education.
3. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels (through women’s economic empowerment via child care).
4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.
   • Target 8.8: Protect labor rights and promote safe and secure working environments.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote social, economic and political inclusion of all.
6. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces (related to zoning and neighborhood access to child care).

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Indicator for SDG 3
   • Number of child care facilities complying with health and safety regulations (implied through licensing compliance and inspection data).
   • Incidence rates of preventable child injuries or deaths in child care settings (implied).
2. Indicator for SDG 4
   • Number of licensed child care providers and programs (explicitly discussed via licensing application approval rates).
   • Average time taken to approve child care licenses (e.g., reduced from three months to 25 days in Boise).
   • Child-to-adult ratios maintained in licensed facilities.
3. Indicator for SDG 5
   • Participation rates of women in child care workforce and leadership roles (implied through women’s empowerment focus).
4. Indicator for SDG 8
   • Staff vacancy rates in child care licensing agencies (e.g., 20% vacancy rate in Illinois).
   • Caseload per licensing representative compared to recommended standards (e.g., 120 vs. recommended 50).
5. Indicator for SDG 10
   • Availability of bilingual staff or interpreters in licensing agencies (implied).
   • Access to child care services for diverse linguistic and social groups.
6. Indicator for SDG 11
   • Number of neighborhoods with automatic zoning permissions for child care centers.
   • Number of child care centers opened or expanded due to zoning reforms.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: the74million.org