Updated data on child care and early learning in the United States illustrate the urgent need for holistic public policymaking and robust investments that support young children, families, and early educators.
This report accompanies the first annual update of the Child Care and Early Learning in the United States data dashboard, an interactive tool from the Center for American Progress that allows users to explore state- and national-level data spanning from 2015 to 2024 on a range of child care and early learning topics, including the cost of child care, the child care workforce, and Head Start program access.
Introduction and summary
Nearly 70 percent of children in the United States under age 6—14.7 million children—have all available parents in the workforce,1 making child care and early learning programs essential not only for early learning and development, but also for family economic security, allowing caregivers to attend work, school, or job training.
Child care and early learning programs are foundational to any well-functioning society, providing large and lasting economic and societal returns and setting children up for success in school and beyond. However, families nationwide struggle to find and afford high-quality child care options that fit their needs. At the same time, early educators—who are disproportionately women of color—are vastly undercompensated, perpetuating high turnover and workforce shortages that limit children’s access to quality early learning opportunities and curtail the care options parents may want for their children.2 Structural inequities and vulnerabilities in the sector highlight a long history of policymaking that has undervalued children, families, and the critical work of early educators. Clear data on the landscape of young children, child care access and affordability, and the conditions of early educators illustrate the need for sustained public investment in the sector as well as in the children, families, and educators most affected by the crisis. Equipping advocates and policymakers with these data will help inform policymaking and funding decisions that equitably and effectively serve the needs of children and families.
For details, visit here: http://americanprogress.org/article/a-2024-review-of-child-care-and-early-learning-in-the-united-states