Disparate Access: Head Start and CCDBG Data by Race and Ethnicity

High-quality child care and early education can build a strong foundation for young children's healthy development. However, many low-income children, who could benefit the most, lack access to early childhood opportunities. While these gaps in access to child care and early education are widely recognized, less is understood about how access differs by race and ethnicity. This brief from the Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc. (CLASP) highlights state-level data by race and ethnicity about differential access to Head Start, Early Head Start, and Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)-funded child care. Additionally, the brief provides recommendations to improve access to child care and early education for all children by expanding federal and state investment in child care and early education programs, improving data collection, assessing state policies for their impact on communities of color, and considering ways to reach underserved populations.