Understanding Infant and Toddler Child Care Deserts

• Published in: Policy File 2018
• Main Authors: Jessen-Howard, Steven, Malik, Rasheed, Workman, Simon, Hamm, Katie
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Center for American Progress; Children & youth/Families & family life; Education; Social conditions & trends

Too often, families face a scarcity of options when they look for child care for a new baby or young toddler. Nearly 60 percent of mothers with a child younger than age 3 are employed. With about 4 million babies born every year in the United States, there is a high demand for infant and toddler child care. In a recent survey, 83 percent of parents with children younger than age 6 stated that finding quality affordable child care is a problem in their area. This percentage is likely greater for the parents of infants and toddlers. Another recent survey indicated that younger children's parents are more likely to report lack of availability as the primary reason for difficulty finding care. Providing high-quality child care is expensive---especially for infants and toddlers---making it difficult for the child care market to respond to the needs of parents who cannot afford high prices. Safe and age-appropriate care for the youngest children requires low staff ratios and small group sizes, which are costly to deliver. The average cost of providing infant care in the United States is estimated at nearly $15,000 per year, more than 20 percent of the typical family's income. Meanwhile, child care assistance reaches only a fraction of eligible families, and even when available, it is rarely sufficient to cover the cost of providing infant and toddler care. This shortage of licensed child care can have a significant impact on children and their families. Parents may be forced to make tradeoffs that result in less engaging and reliable child care for their children or that harm their family's economic security. Without affordable, licensed child care, some families rely on a patchwork of child care arrangements that do not fully meet their family's needs. For children, this happens during a particularly important time for child development, as the interactions they have with caregivers in the first three years of life can have long-term effects that lay the groundwork for healthy socio-emotional regulation, learning ability, and resilience. Building on previous child care deserts analysis conducted by the Center for American Progress, this study quantifies the extent of this problem by analyzing the availability of licensed child care for infants and toddlers in nine states and the District of Columbia.