This public policy report focuses on financing child care in the United States. The report contains brief articles on the following topics: (1) child care wages in comparison to other positions; (2) benefits to businesses when employees have high-quality child care; (3) resources for funding early education systems; (4) comparison of the cost of early education and college tuition; (5) description of a demonstration project funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to determine the most effective policy alternatives to link compensation to quality care; and (6) a description of the Smart Start for Kansas Teachers program. The report asserts that while states and the private sector have made significant gains in their support for early childhood programs, only a few states have developed a statewide vision for early childhood. Government programs will temporarily raise the salaries of participating teachers but long-term solutions are needed to make permanent changes to the compensation system. (KB)