(a) The goals of the CCDF are to:
(1) Allow each State maximum flexibility in developing child care programs and policies that best suit the needs of children and parents within the State;
(2) Promote parental choice to empower working parents to make their own decisions on the child care that best suits their family's needs;
(3) Encourage States to provide consumer education information to help parents make informed choices about child care;
(4) Assist States to provide child care to parents trying to achieve independence from public assistance; and
(5) Assist States in implementing the health, safety, licensing, and registration standards established in State regulations.
(b) The purpose of the CCDF is to increase the availability, affordability, and quality of child care services. The program offers Federal funding to States, Territories, Indian Tribes, and tribal organizations in order to:
(1) Provide low-income families with the financial resources to find and afford quality child care for their children;
(2) Enhance the quality and increase the supply of child care for all families, including those who receive no direct assistance under the CCDF;
(3) Provide parents with a broad range of options in addressing their child care needs;
(4) Strengthen the role of the family;
(5) Improve the quality of, and coordination among, child care programs and early childhood development programs; and
(6) Increase the availability of early childhood development and before- and after-school care services.
(c) The purpose of these regulations is to provide the basis for administration of the Fund. These regulations provide that Lead Agencies:
(1) Maximize parental choice through the use of certificates and through grants and contracts;
(2) Include in their programs a broad range of child care providers, including center-based care, family child care, in-home care, care provided by relatives and sectarian child care providers;
(3) Provide quality child care that meets applicable requirements;
(4) Coordinate planning and delivery of services at all levels;
(5) Design flexible programs that provide for the changing needs of recipient families;
(6) Administer the CCDF responsibly to ensure that statutory requirements are met and that adequate information regarding the use of public funds is provided; and
(7) Design programs that provide uninterrupted service to families and providers, to the extent statutorily possible.