Public Policy Information:  Highlights of Child Care Movement

1960's

1969   Nixon calls for "a national commitment" to give "all American children an opportunity for healthful and stimulating development during the first five years of life."

1970's

1970   Nixon White House child care conference

- Federal government goal to establish child care for 5.6 million children by 1980

1973   Congress passes first broadly-targeted child care legislation; Nixon vetoes

1973   Passage of first child care deduction

1976   First child care deduction replaced with Dependent Care Tax Credit

1976   Congress approves Title XX of Social Security Act, the largest single federal program in direct support of child care

1980's

1987-88  Act for Better Child Care (ABC bill) introduced to Congress to substantially expand federal subsidies for child care

1987   Dr. Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of Psychology and Director of the Bush Center for Child Development and Social Policy, Yale University, speaks of a national model of child care at the National Health Policy Forum

1990's

1996   NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) releases results of Phase I of its study of early child care as it relates to infant child care and attachment security

1997    NICHD releases results of  Phase II of its study of early child care as it relates to children's cognitive and language development

1997   National communications campaign about "early childhood," including Tom Hanks' prime time special "I  Am Your Child"

1997   Clinton White House "Conference on Early Childhood Development:  What the Newest Research on the Brain Tells Us About Our Youngest Children"

1997   Clinton White House, working with Child Care Action Campaign, among others, to hold October, 1997 "Conference on Child Care"

1998   Clinton White House proposes $21.7 billion plan for further subsidizing non-parental care of children