DEL Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is a package of federal funding designed to help boost the economy by saving and creating jobs. Learn more about the recovery package at:
www.recovery.gov.

Learn more about available funding and how to apply for funding in Washington at:
www.recovery.wa.gov.

Overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The Recovery Act was signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009. It is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax relief, and protect those in greatest need.

The package includes funding for two key early learning initiatives:

  • About $2 billion nationally for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Block Grant, which in our state is administered by the Department of Early Learning.
  • $2.1 billion for the federal Head Start and Early Head Start program. (These funds are provided directly by the federal government to local Head Start agencies.) On May 8, 2009, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families published the grant application for Head Start and Early Head Start programs who seek to use economic recovery funds for program expansion. Applications were due by June 23, 2009, for Head Start and by July 9, 2009, for Early Head Start.

CCDF funds are used to help low-income families access affordable, quality child care, and to improve the quality and availability of child care. The bulk of the funding goes to help families find and pay for child care while working, looking for work or participating in approved job training. Click here to learn more about child care subsidies.

A portion of CCDF funding also goes toward initiatives to improve the quality of child care including child care resource and referral services, professional development and training for providers, child care licensing, consultation and support for providers serving infants and toddlers, etc.

Washington State received about $33.4 million in federal economic recovery dollars through CCDF. About $27.7 million of that goes to child care subsidies. Additional dollars are being used to support:

On April 9, the federal Administration for Children & Families issued program instruction on the CCDF economic recovery funds. Click here to read the program instruction. DEL is discussing the program instruction with legislators and partners, and will post updated information here about how the funding will be used to promote economic growth and employment as well as positive early learning outcomes for children.

Twenty-seven of the 29 federally recognized Tribal Nations in Washington also will receive CCDF funds from ARRA directly from the federal government. Click here to learn more about CCDF.

DEL Recovery Act contact information

Chief Operating Officer Kate Verville
360.725.4689
kate.verville@del.wa.gov

Last revised on August 31, 2009.