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Strategies to Guide the Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Relief Funding for Early Care and Education

Part of the Resource Collection: Maximizing Federal Relief Funds Report
By: Patti Banghart, Gabriella Guerra, and Sarah Daily, Child Trends December 10, 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic created a major upheaval to an already fragile early care and education system. As a result of the pandemic, families face additional challenges accessing care and child care providers are experiencing greater financial difficulties and struggling to keep their programs open. The pandemic has also exacerbated the racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequities within the child care system. As states strive to spend these funds in ways that support the child care industry and decrease these inequities, they must decide how to equitably distribute federal recovery funds to better support child care providers, as well as families that face greater barriers to accessing care due to systemic inequities. This report provides strategies to accomplish these goals.

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Connecting the Dots: Holistic Help for Women and Children Experiencing Homelessness

Blog July 27, 2026

At a time when marginalized populations are more vulnerable than ever, it’s inspiring to hear from individuals who have prevailed over dire circumstances. Their stories give us hope. The formerly homeless single mothers spotlighted here are resolute and resourceful. But they’d be the first to say that they likely wouldn’t be where they are today without the supports they received along the way.