Child Care Subsidy Policy After the 1996 Federal Welfare Reform: A Case Study of State Policy Formation in Illinois
Schaefer, Stephanie A.
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/87817
Description
Title
Child Care Subsidy Policy After the 1996 Federal Welfare Reform: A Case Study of State Policy Formation in Illinois
Author(s)
Schaefer, Stephanie A.
Issue Date
1999
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Pleck,Joseph H.
Department of Study
Human Resources and Family Studies
Discipline
Human Resources and Family Studies
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Education, Early Childhood
Language
eng
Abstract
With the repeal of federal programs by the 1996 welfare reform law (PL 104-193), state governments have been given new responsibility for creating child care subsidy (CCS) policy. This study examines the CCS policy-formation process in Illinois, analyzing the influence of several key factors on this process using an analytic framework developed by the National Research Council (NRC) (Hayes, 1982). Analyses focused on two key factors identified in this framework: contextual factors, and constituents. The influence of these factors on five key features of Illinois's new CCS policy (subsidy eligibility criteria, state spending, provider reimbursement rate, parental copayments, and total spending) were examined. Content analysis of data from transcripts of personal interviews with 12 individuals involved in the policy process and from 670 documents were conducted using qualitative coding and analysis techniques. The analysis of the influence of five contextual factors (federal welfare policy, federal CCS policy, federal-state relations, Illinois's recent welfare policy history, and other Illinois concurrent policy issues) on CCS policy formation revealed that many of these contextual factors influenced the policy by promoting the welfare-to-work goal of employment. Moreover, the policy priority placed on employment was reflected in the differential investment in the five key features of the Illinois CCS policy. The analysis of the influence of constituents on policy formation revealed that child care advocates were effective in influencing CCS policy-formation because they: had a specific plan; possessed extensive policy-relevant knowledge and political skills; and seized the opportunity for policy change presented by the favorable context of welfare reform. The impact of advocates on the five key policy features are reviewed, and implications for influencing policy-formation processes are discussed. Finally, a review of the influence of the four remaining NRC factors is presented, and an assessment of the CCS policy outcome is provided.
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