Measuring and Comparing Multiple Dimensions of Early Care and Education Access

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report explores different measures of child care access and uses a multi-dimensional, family-centric definition to assess center-based and non-relationship home-based child care. Using 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education data, the report provides national estimates of families’ local access against the four identified dimensions of this broader understanding of child care. The report illustrates gaps in child care access beyond a “slot to tot” analysis and the persistence of low child care availability for families with infants and toddlers.