Licensed child care continues to be unavailable and unaffordable for many families in California. While nearly 37,000 child care centers and family child care homes were licensed in California offering nearly one million spaces in 2019, caring for children outside the home remained a challenge. For caregivers who work non-traditional hours, the challenge may be even greater.
Among licensed facilities in 2019,
- 2% of child care centers and 41% of family home care offered evening, weekend, and/or overnight care
- 82% of each type of facility offered part-time schedules
- Child care centers cost over $17,000 yearly for full-time infant care and over $12,000 for preschooler care while family home care facilities cost around $11,000 for either age group (in 2018)
Since the pandemic began, child care has been impacted in ways we are only beginning to understand. Based on a study conducted by the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, 43% of respondents reported in June and July 2020 that their child care was different than what they had been planning to use before the pandemic. Cultivating and expanding a mixed delivery care system that serves all families has only increased in importance through this period.