This report is the most comprehensive, nationwide analysis of child care supply, potential need, access, and economic impact to date. It combines state-provided child care data, federal data sources, census workforce estimates, and a distance-based access model that reflects how families actually seek child care. It also draws on a series of 10 national parent surveys to contextualize findings and highlight how access, cost, hours, and availability shape family decisions.
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Read a blog post about the report: The National Child Care Gap: 4.1M Children Lack Access—and It's Costing the Economy Billions |
Read a press release about the report: New National Analysis Finds 4.1 Million Children Lack Access to Child Care, Costing the Economy Up to $329 Billion Over the Next Decade |
Child Care Trust™
America’s child care system is holding our country back and hurting everyone—children, families, child care providers, communities, and employers. The challenges are well documented. What the country lacks is not more evidence of the problem—but a clear, actionable path forward. To meet this moment, Child Care Aware® of America has launched the Child Care Trust™—an independent, national catalyst for designing the child care system of the future. It will be led by nationally renowned child care expert, Linda K. Smith.