Abstract
Statement of Purpose. The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the variations in state childcare policy across the United States and (b) compare the variations and similarities in California's in-home childcare policy to that of other states in the nation and the District of Columbia. Additional purposes of the study included the following: adding to the literature on child care in an effort to continue to educate others about the importance of states' constructing comprehensive childcare policy; providing policymakers a comparative review of states within the nation, which will assist with policymakers' reaching out to advocates and citizens to further improve childcare policy and creating public value; providing advocates a comparative review of other states within the nation, which will assist with positively supporting their efforts; and comparing variations in TrustLine registrations for California's 58 counties. Theoretical Framework. Complexity theory was significant to this study as the theory supported a considerable number of interconnected systems within the field of child care and early care and education. Social construction theory provided an understanding of the processes involved with developing policy through the social process. Principal-agent theory described government's responsibility to regulate externalities. Creating public value theory embraced the idea of including citizens and other stakeholders throughout the decision-making process. Methodology. This was a descriptive comparative study using secondary quantitative data. The study consisted of two units of data from Child Care Aware and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network. Findings. The findings identified 4 states categorized as lenient, having very minimal requirements. Secondly, 32 states and the District of Columbia were categorized as moderate. Lastly, 14 states were categorized as having rigorous childcare policies. Furthermore, TrustLine registration data revealed differences between smaller rural counties and larger urban counties. Conclusions and Recommendations. The study revealed variations in childcare policy across the nation and TrustLine registrations within California. Recommendations for this study include educating policymakers on the benefits children receive when cared for by qualified childcare providers. Fingerprinting license-exempt childcare providers, including relatives and nonrelatives, would provide added protection for children in unlicensed child care across the nation.