This project seeks to develop a rigorous evaluation plan to increase our understanding of the impact of Minnesota’s subsidy policies on low-income families’ access to high quality child care. The project team will integrate quantitative data analysis and a stakeholder-engagement process to achieve this goal. First, using existing administrative data, the project team will examine the effects of increased subsidy payment rates on a small set of outcomes for children, families, and providers. This analysis will inform the development of a rigorous quantitative methodology for the evaluation plan. In addition to quantitative analyses, the project team will engage in a community consultation process to: a) identify communities who experience different barriers to access or policy impacts and b) refine the team’s conceptualization of key access constructs. The expected outputs of the planning grant include: a developed logic model, quantitative results, a list of outcome measures that could be used in a future quantitative evaluation, the development of additional administrative data partnerships to support a future quantitative evaluation, and learnings from communities and families experiencing systemic inequities in child care access. (author abstract)