Access to high-quality, affordable child care is affected by laws, policies, and governmental actions, including at local and regional levels. Some policies are obvious in their impact on child care supply, while others may have a less direct yet still meaningful effect on the system. This section of the Playbook focuses on topics related to systems-level changes that contribute to a regional policy environment that creates favorable conditions to build child care supply.
Treating child care as regional infrastructure means integrating child care development into long-range planning processes alongside transportation, housing, and economic development. It is a proactive, systems approach that coordinates regulatory alignment, facility development, and funding strategies to build lasting supply.