EDC Selected to Study Low-Income Parents’ Access to Childcare

EDC is leading a new study that will advance knowledge of the factors that influence the ability of families in low-income communities to obtain childcare for children from birth to age 12. The study is funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Over the next 18 months, Clare Waterman Irwin (principal investigator), Heidi Rosenberg, and David Bamat will compare and analyze data from the 2012 and 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education, which included approximately 12,000 interviews with adults in households with children under age 13.

EDC’s analysis will examine whether and how families’ ability to secure childcare changed between 2012 and 2019 and address the following questions:

• Are parents in low-income communities able to secure childcare that matches their work schedules?
• How do parents in low-income communities address gaps in child-care coverage?
• What factors affect whether parents in low-income communities experience gaps in child-care coverage?

“It is crucial for families in low-income communities to have reliable access to high-quality childcare that fits their work schedules,” said Irwin. “We hope that our study will help inform national and state policymakers as they work to address barriers to child-care access for these families.”