Tough Economy May Threaten CA Child Care Supply
Imagine losing a trusted, licensed child care provider for your toddler because their home – their place of business – was foreclosed. Then imagine finding a new provider, only to be laid off from your job.
This is a true story highlighted in a press release by the California Child Care Resource & Referral Network. According to their 2009 California Child Care Portfolio, an already tight supply of quality, licensed child care in California is getting even harder to find due to the economic downturn.
Despite a roughly 20 percent increase between 2000 and 2008 of licensed child care facilities and the number of slots within those facilities, licensed child care in California was available for only 27 percent of children ages 0-13 with working parents.
Of course, not all working parents require licensed child care, but the potential demand for child care still far outweighs supply. In a time when foreclosures are high and jobs are hard to find, difficulty finding child care puts additional strain on working families.
Some other highlights from the newly available childcare data on kidsdata.org:
- From 2000 to 2008, the number of licensed child care facilities – and the number of slots within those facilities – increased by about 20 percent statewide. However, due to shortages of qualified staff and other issues, many child care providers do not fill all of their slots; therefore, the number of slots may overestimate the available care.
- In 2008, licensed child care in California was available for 27 percent of children ages 0-13 with working parents. As noted above, not all children with working parents need licensed care; some may be cared for by family members, nannies, or others.
- Almost 10 percent of parents statewide request child care during the evenings or weekends, according to the 2009 California Child Care Portfolio, and only 1-2 percent of licensed centers offer this type of care.
- While family child care homes are more likely to provide care during evenings or weekends, they represent only about a third of the licensed child care slots in the state.
On kidsdata.org, you can find child care data for counties statewide, as well as a “dashboard” of data highlights on child care in California. And please add a comment below to share your insights or experiences regarding child care issues in California.
Posted by kidsdata.org
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