The Foundation for Better Availability of and Access to Child Care

APHSA's recent article, "Five Steps to Assess and Simplify Access to State Child Care Subsidy Systems," offered clear guidance to state and local policymakers and advocates on how to better understand and improve child care subsidy access. While policy reform is a critical component of achieving more equitable and efficient child care delivery, technology can also play a transformative role. Purpose-built systems like CITI’s Arise solution are designed to support and accelerate these policy goals, improving how families access and experience child care services.

Using the framework in APHSA’s article, let’s break down how technology, like CITI’s Child Care solution, Arise, can enhance the efforts of policymakers and advocates in improving child care subsidy access.

1. Understand how families with different characteristics or resources experience state policies and procedures.

Every family’s situation is unique, and successful child care service delivery must reflect that reality. CITI developed Arise with this understanding at its core. The solution provides a comprehensive 360-degree view of family and provider services, capturing and organizing data in a way that reflects the nuanced, real-world experiences of both clients and providers. By supporting service continuity and taking into account diverse family structures, employment types, and provider arrangements, Arise ensures that no family falls through the cracks.

2. Explore how state subsidy eligibility policies for families could be simplified.

Determining eligibility for child care subsidies can be a complex, time-consuming process that overwhelms families and burdens staff. Arise simplifies and accelerates this process through streamlined workflows and dynamic case management tools. These features help caseworkers process eligibility determinations faster and more accurately, reducing delays and confusion for families seeking assistance.

Because our solutions were designed with input from industry experts, they don’t require major overhauls or costly customizations. This head start allows agencies to deploy solutions faster while ensuring that they align with best practices and regulatory requirements. It also means that agencies can see tangible benefits much sooner, from reducing administrative burden to improving service delivery.

3. Consider what the state requires of families, how it supports them, and whether these decisions could inadvertently limit family access.

CITI engineered Arise to facilitate and augment child care subsidy requirements at both the state and county level. The system can be configured to reflect specific program rules and policies, adapting to the individual needs of jurisdictions. More importantly, Arise is designed to reduce barriers for families—its user-friendly interface and automated functionality simplify the eligibility determination process and other administrative steps prior to receiving care, making vital services more accessible to those who need them most.

4. Examine how state policies shape which providers can participate and whether they think it’s worth the effort.

Provider participation is an ongoing challenge in child care programs, often due to administrative burden and delays in payment. Arise addresses this concern head-on. By automating administrative workflows, simplifying documentation, and reducing caseworker/provider friction, Arise encourages more providers to engage with the subsidy system. In doing so, it supports broader access to care for families and reduces the operational barriers that keep providers from participating.

5. Explore the realities facing the families and providers the subsidy system aims to serve

One of the most pressing challenges in child care today is timely payment. When providers don’t receive payments on time, the entire system suffers, often leaving families without reliable care options. Arise automates payment-related workflows to ensure accuracy and timeliness, reducing administrative errors and processing delays. This helps build trust among providers and ensures that families can maintain consistent access to care.

Policy & Technology: A Partnership for Improving Child Care Programs

APHSA’s five-step framework provides an essential blueprint for improving access to child care subsidies. While much of this work requires thoughtful policy changes and administrative insight, technology solutions like CITI’s Arise play a pivotal role in putting those policies into practice and seamlessly navigating policies that can’t be changed. Arise supports families, providers, and caseworkers alike, aligning with each of APHSA’s recommendations to simplify access, streamline workflows, and ensure timely, high-quality service delivery. When paired with strategic policy reform, innovative technology can drive meaningful progress in making child care more accessible, efficient, and equitable for all.