Child Care in the United States: Who Shapes State Policies for Children‪?‬

Child care research is traditionally interested in the effects of the child care experience on child development. This article examines a different question: Who shapes state child care policy in the United States? The study, based on 49 states, shows that contrary to expectations, women's political representation, governor's party affiliation, and state wealth are not related to regulatory requirements for higher standards of care. The results, however, indicate a negative association between the size of ethnic minority groups and two of the standards of care indicators relating to number of staff. There is also some support for the influence of state opinion liberalism. If the findings are indeed robust, they represent important policy implications for the well-being of children. KEY WORDS: child care; ethnicity; public opinion; race; state policy; women's political representation