Three million children could be affected as the largest investment in child care in U.S. history expires in September.

By Claire Cain Miller, Alicia Parlapiano and Madeleine Ngo

For two years, the United States has been effectively running an experiment in federally funding child care providers. The $24 billion disbursed in pandemic relief has been the largest investment in child care in U.S. history. Child care providers have used the money to raise teachers’ pay, buy supplies and pay mortgages.

In September, those funds expire, one of the last of the pandemic-era safety net benefits to end. It is a looming crisis for the industry, and could lead to tuition hikes, layoffs and closures. In all, child care could be disrupted for three million children, close to a third of those in child care, according to a report released Wednesday by the Century Foundation.

What Providers Predict Will Happen When Grants Expire

Share of owners and directors who said they will:

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