; (15) supporting a unified, birth-through-school-entry, early childhood system, including carrying out activities related to establishing braided or blended funding arrangements to promote the integration of services to children and families; and (16) making grants and contracts to cover a portion of the fixed operating expenses of eligible providers of services through a child care and early learning program serving eligible children receiving assistance under this section, to support increased wages, program stability, and continuity of services for all children in such program. (c) Maintenance of effort No State or community shall reduce its expenditures for child care and early learning programs (including home-based child care and early learning programs) because of financial assistance provided under this section. II Related programs 201. Maintenance of effort (a) Maintenance of effort Section 658J of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858h ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (d) Maintenance of effort (1) In general No State shall receive such a payment for a fiscal year if the State reduces its total State expenditures for child care services for the prior fiscal year below the average of such expenditures for the 3 fiscal years preceding that prior fiscal year. (2) Total State expenditures For purposes of this subsection, total State expenditures for child care services include State expenditures to carry out this subchapter and the Child Care for Every Community Act. . (b) Relationship to the Child Care for Every Community Act Section 658M of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858k ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (c) Relationship to the Child Care for Every Community Act An eligible child who is eligible for child care and early learning services under the Child Care for Every Community Act shall only receive child care services under this subchapter that the child is ineligible for under that Act. .