Understanding Child Care Deserts

What Is a Child Care Desert?

Child care deserts are neighborhoods or communities that are either lacking any child care options or have so few providers that there are more than three children for every licensed child care slot. Research from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that one-third of children under the age of 5 regularly receive care from nonrelatives. Consequently, areas with more than three children per available child care slot may experience waiting lists for child care, informal unlicensed arrangements, or influence parents' decisions regarding employment.

How Are Child Care Deserts Measured?

There are several different ways to measure child care deserts, and the choice of method may depend on the specific goals of the analysis. Some of the commonly used methods include:

• Distance-based measures look at the proximity of child care providers to families in need of child care. For example, a child care desert might be defined as an area where there are no licensed child care providers within a certain distance, such as a half-mile or a mile.
• Capacity-based measures look at the number of child care slots available relative to the number of children in need of care. A child care desert might be defined as an area where there are not enough licensed child care slots to meet the demand of families.
• Affordability-based measures consider the cost of child care relative to family income. A child care desert might be defined as an area where families cannot afford to pay for child care, or where there are no low-cost or subsidized child care options available.
• Quality-based measures consider the quality of child care providers in an area. A child care desert might be defined as an area where there are no high-quality child care providers available.

Each of these methods has its strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the most appropriate method may depend on the specific research questions being asked. While there may be differences between child care methodologies, they all provide estimates. Therefore, organizations should select a methodology that suits the communities they serve and maintain consistency over time.

How Does CCAMO Measure Child Care Deserts?

CCAMO utilizes capacity-based measures that concentrate on zip codes and counties in our desert analysis because these segments represent well-understood population units. Moreover, individuals frequently cross zip code boundaries and county lines while seeking appropriate child care.

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