Experiences of child care providers serving subsidy-receiving children involved in the child protective services system: Implications for equitable access

Utilization rates of early care and education (ECE) programs among young children (ages 0-5) involved with child protective services (CPS) are significantly lower than those of all U.S. children in this age group (39% vs. 74%). Research on factors contributing to this disparity, potentially driven by inequitable access to care, is limited. Expanding access to quality ECE for CPS-involved children depends on ECE providers' willingness and capacity to serve them, yet no studies have examined ECE providers' experiences in this context. This study analyzes focus group data from 84 diverse ECE providers across Massachusetts who provide subsidized child care to CPS-involved children, aiming to understand providers' experiences and identify resources and supports needed to meet these children's needs. Using the social ecological model, providers' experiences are categorized into three major themes and subthemes: (1) individual factors (responding to critical needs of children, a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment through serving them, relevant knowledge and experience with the population), (2) child and family-related challenges (meeting children's behavioral needs, challenges in engaging with families, inconsistence attendance due to transportation), and (3) community and policy factors (need for resources and financial support, specialized trainings such as trauma-informed care, behavioral management, better information-sharing about children's circumstances, influence of foster care placement on child care settings, needs for greater subsidy policy flexibility). Implications for policymakers, ECE providers, and future research are discussed.