This is part 1 of the second of three reports submitted to the Legislative Task Force on Access to Quality Affordable Child Care as instructed by House Bill 2346. This study examines how characteristics of children and the communities in which they live are associated with child care supply, focusing on child care for young children (ages 0-5). Child, family, and community characteristics examined in this study include geography (rural vs urban), child’s age, child’s race/ethnicity, language spoken in the home, household income and marital status (single employed parent). The role of public funding is also investigated. Findings indicate complicated patterns of co-occurring access barriers across communities indicates the need to consider the intersection of multiple barriers when targeting solutions to child care needs.

This report focuses on child care access for young children (0-5 years), whereas a companion report focuses on care for school-age children (6-12 years).