The grant team will assess how provider payment practices and policies improve equitable access to high-quality child care, particularly for rural communities, communities of color, and immigrant communities. The research questions for this project include: 1. How do provider payment policies and practices affect low-income families’ access to high-quality child care? 2. What role do subsidy payment policies and practices play in improving equitable access to high-quality child care? 3. How do payment rate policies (e.g., increasing payment rates) impact program goals, such as supporting parental educational and training attainment, work stability and wage growth, and child educational outcomes? The grant team will use a mixed-methods approach involving three components: (1) analysis of administrative data, including descriptive analysis and quasi-experimental analysis of causal effects; (2) large-scale qualitative interview study, including with child care directors and families who participate in subsidies; and (3) collection and analysis of survey data, including from child care directors, educators (center- and home-based), and families. (author abstract)