Child Care Executive Partnership

The Child Care Executive Partnership (CCEP) is a public-private partnership designed to increase the availability of child care subsidies for low- and moderate-income working families in Florida. In response to long waiting lists for child care subsidies and to research on the employment patterns of working families that receive child care subsidies in the state, the legislature passed the Child Care Partnership Act of 1996 that created CCEP. CCEP provides incentives for employers to assist employees with their child care needs by matching employer contributions with public dollars. Employers may contribute to CCEP to help defray child care costs for their own low-income employees―defined as those with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level―or to assist low-income families in the community whose children are on waiting lists by giving donations to charitable child care purchasing pools. The state matches employer contributions dollar for dollar using federal Child Care and Development Fund monies.

The program's mission is to promote public-private partnerships to ensure that the children of Florida are provided safe, high quality, developmentally appropriate and enriching child care while parents work to remain self-sufficient.

During fiscal 2002-03, CCEP served more than 27,000 children. In the 2002-03 CCEP Business Survey, most participating employers reported increased employee productivity, improved ability to recruit workers, and improved work attendance. Participation in CCEP also improved firms' corporate and community image. CCEP enables the state to stretch limited child care dollars and engage large and small employers in the critical issue of child care for low-income working families.