The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 (CCDBG Act, as amended) is the main federal law governing child care programs for low-income working families. The CCDBG Act authorizes discretionary appropriations to support grants to state, territorial, and tribal lead agencies. Lead agencies use these funds to subsidize the child care expenses of eligible children and to improve the overall quality and supply of child care. At the lead agency level, discretionary CCDBG funds are integrated with mandatory funds from the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES). The CCES is permanently authorized in Section 418 of the Social Security Act. CCES funds generally must be spent according to CCDBG Act rules. Combined, the CCES and CCDBG are commonly called the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), and this report uses the term "CCDF" to refer to these joint funding streams, where appropriate. The CCDF is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This report addresses the following topics regarding the CCDBG: (1) Lead Agencies; (2) Subsidy Programs; (3) Quality Improvement Activities; (4) Licensing Requirements; (5) Health and Safety Standards; (6) Inspections; (7) Criminal Background Checks; (8) Consumer Education; (9) Limitations on Use of Funds; (10) Allocation of Funds; and (11) Funding and Children Served.