National and State Child Care Data Overview
2023 Update
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The Brief
Nearly 23 million children ages 5 and under live in the United States, with 71% living in households in which all parents work. The demand for child care – as both a workforce support and to help young children build a quality foundation for lifelong learning – is clear. BPC’s data-driven tool provides information at both the state and national levels on children and families, child care funding streams, and child care providers.
Explore the tool now by selecting your state, or scroll down for national data on children, child care funding, and providers.
How to Use:
Select a State or the National data to view its breakdown.Browse with arrows or scroll bar.
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Children and Families
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Endnotes
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For National
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. Available at: https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- Economic Policy Institute, “Child care costs in the United States: The cost of child care in Alabama,” October 2020. Available at: https://www.epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/.
For States
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. Available at: https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- The Nation’s Report Card, “State Profile – National Assessment of Educational Progress: 4th Grade Reading Scores by State & National,” 2022. Available at: https://www.nationsreportcard.gov.
- S. Census Bureau. “2021 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Public Use Micro Sample.” Accessed August 11, 2023. https://www.census.gov.programs-surveys/acs/microdata.html.
- Economic Policy Institute, “Child care costs in the United States: The cost of child care in Alabama,” October 2020. Available at: https://www.epi.org/child-care-costs-in-the-united-states/.
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Funding Sources
- Bipartisan Policy Center, Building Bipartisan Support for Child Care Toolkit: 2023 Update, February 2023. Available at: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/child-care-toolkit-2023/.
- S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, “CCDF Allocations Based on Appropriations FY 2020,” May 9, 2022. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/data/gy-2020-ccdf-allocations-based-appropriations.
- S. Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center, “Poverty Guidelines and Determining Eligibility for Participation in Head Start,” August 14, 2023. Available at: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/ersea/article/poverty-guidelines-determining-eligibility-participation-head-start-programs.
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, “HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2023,” January 19, 2023. Available at: https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines.
- S. Department of Health and Human Services, Child Care Technical Assistance Network, “Fundamentals of CCDF Administration.” Available at: https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/ccdf-fundamentals/family-income.
- S. Census Bureau, “Median Family Income by Family Size,” May 14, 2022. Available at: https://www.justice.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/20220401/bci_data/median_income_table.htm.
Pre-K Sources
- Friedman-Krauss, et. al., (2023). The State of Preschool 2022: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research. Available at: https://nieer.org/the-state-of-preschool-yearbook-2022.
- Friedman-Krauss, et. al., (2023). The State of Preschool 2022: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research. Available at: https://nieer.org/the-state-of-preschool-yearbook-2022.
- Friedman-Krauss, et. al., (2023). The State of Preschool 2022: State Preschool Yearbook. New Brunswick, NJ: National Institute for Early Education Research. Available at: https://nieer.org/the-state-of-preschool-yearbook-2022.
- S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, “ARPA Supplemental Stabilization and CCDF Discretionary Funding Allocation Tables – States,” March 3, 2023. Available at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/occ/data/arpa-supplemental-stabilization-and-ccdf-discretionary-funding-allocation-tables-states.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Service, “Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP),” Accessed August 2023. Available at: https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp.
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Sources
- S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division, State Minimum Wage Laws, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics -39-9011 Child Care Workers,” May 2022. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm.
- Bipartisan Policy Center, “Child Care Gaps Assessment,” October 26, 2022. Available at: https://childcaregap.org/.
- K. Smith, A. Bagley, and B. Wolters, Child Care in 35 States: What We Know and Don’t Know, Bipartisan Policy Center, October 26, 2020. Available at: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/child-care-gap/.
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division, State Minimum Wage Laws, “Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics -39-9011 Child Care Workers,” May 2022. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399011.htm.
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