Policies and investments to support child care options for families with young children

The University of Oregon has been conducting a national survey—called the Rapid Assessment of Pandemic Impact on Development (RAPID)-Early Childhood Survey—regarding the well-being of families with young children during the pandemic. Survey data collected from mid-May to early June show significant changes in the types of child care utilized by families before and during the pandemic. In particular, the share of families with young children using center-based care fell from 46 percent before the pandemic to just 7 percent at the time of survey completion (during the pandemic). Conversely, the share of parents/guardians performing child care duties increased from around 30 percent to over 70 percent by the summer. Urban Institute researchers on the project note that home-based care programs are gaining interest but need support. Authors propose policy options for supporting families’ access to child care including helping families pay for care (such as through the Child Care and Development Fund system), ensuring child care subsidies can apply to a range of child care settings (especially included home-based care), and investing in child care options across settings. #covid-19 #childcare