Defining and Measuring Access to Child Care and Early Education with Families in Mind

Publication Date: February 8, 2022
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  • Published: 2022

Introduction

Access is often measured in terms of supply (i.e., capacity) of licensed child care and early education (CCEE) centers and family child care (FCC) homes. Sometimes it is measured by counting the number of families who use different types of CCEE. These metrics assume that a large supply of or high use of CCEE means it is accessible to families. Recent research shows that these types of calculations overestimate families’ access to CCEE because they do not account for what families search for, prefer, and need. The Access Guidebook introduced a definition of access that is centered on families and acknowledges four dimensions that families consider when choosing CCEE: access means that parents, with reasonable effort and affordability, can enroll their child in an arrangement that supports the child’s development and meets the parents’ needs. This multi-dimensional definition can help policymakers develop and refine policies that promote greater equitable access to child care for the families they serve.

Purpose

When families search for CCEE, they weigh several factors at the same time. CCEE access has four dimensions: 1) reasonable effort to find care, 2) affordability of care, 3) care that supports the child’s development, and 4) care that meets parents’ needs.

If policymakers consider access in terms of these multiple dimensions, they may be more likely to build the supply of CCEE and provide resources to families that meet their varying needs and preferences.

Methods

Multidimensional Framework of Access to Child Care Education

Recommendations

Ideally, all four dimensions of access are included simultaneously. However, it is not always possible or feasible; looking just at one or two dimensions that have not been previously considered together can help understand CCEE access more completely than previously understood. For example, looking at one or more dimensions by child age, using maps to visualize access, surveying parents to learn more about family and child needs, and understanding local employment patterns can all help build and maintain a supply of CCEE that address families’ needs and preferences. 

Citation

Paschall, K., & Maxwell, K. (2022). Defining and Measuring Access to Child Care and Early Education with Families in Mind. OPRE Report #2021-232. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Glossary

CCEE:
Child care and early education
ECE:
Early Care and Education
FCC:
family child care
Access:
Care and early education (CCEE) access is multi-dimensional and best understood from the perspective of families. The four dimensions of CCEE access are: 1) reasonable effort to find care, 2) affordability of care, 3) care that supports the child’s development, and 4) care that meets parents’ needs.