Child care

Question:
What are the most prevalent forms of child care?

Response:
A higher percentage of 4-year-old children (57 percent) were cared for primarily in center-based programs during the day in 2005–06 than had no regular nonparental care (20 percent) or were cared for primarily in home-based settings by relatives (13 percent) or by nonrelatives (8 percent). There were differences in the average quality of care children received in these settings. A higher percentage of children in Head Start and other center-based programs (35 percent) received high-quality care than those in home-based relative and nonrelative care (9 percent), according to the ratings of trained observers.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Chapter 2 .

Percentage distribution of children at about 4 years of age, by primary type of child care arrangement and selected characteristics: 2005-06
Characteristic	No regular nonparental arrangement	Home-based care		Center-based care1
		Relative care	Non-relative care	Total	Head Start2	Other than Head Start3
Total	20.0	13.1	7.6	57.4	12.6	44.8
Sex of child
Male	19.3	13.1	7.5	58.0	12.9	45.1
Female	20.7	13.2	7.7	56.8	12.4	44.4
Race/ethnicity of child
White	17.9	11.0	9.2	60.0	6.8	53.3
Black	16.3	13.9	4.4	62.1	25.1	37.0
Hispanic	27.3	15.9	6.2	49.3	18.6	30.7
Asian	17.1	16.1	3.6	60.9	5.5	55.3
Pacific Islander	22.3	45.0	‡	19.9	5.0	14.9
American Indian/Alaska Native	19.9	14.0	5.2	59.7	31.0	28.7
Two or more races	17.9	17.6	9.1	53.6	11.1	42.5

‡ Reporting standards not met.

¹Care provided in places such as early learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools.

²Care provided in the child’s home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents).

³Care provided in the child’s home or in another private home by a person unrelated to the child.

NOTE: Primary type of child care arrangement is the type of nonparental care in which the child spent the most hours. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012–001), Table 56.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 53. Enrollment of 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in preprimary programs, by level of program, control of program, and attendance status: Selected years, 1965 through 2010
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 54. Number of children under 6 yrs old and not yet enrolled in kindergarten, percentage in center-based programs, avg weekly hrs in nonparental care, and percentage in var types of primary care arrangements, by sel'd child and family characteristics: 2005
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 55. Child care arrangements of 3- to 5-year-old children who are not yet in kindergarten, by age and race/ethnicity: Various years, 1991 through 2005
  
• 2012, Digest of Education Statistics 2011, Table 57. Percentage distribution of quality rating of child care arrangements of children at about 4 years of age, by type of arrangement and selected child and family characteristics: 2005-06
  
• 2012, The Condition of Education 2012: Early Education and Child Care Arrangements of Young Children
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2011, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS): This survey includes three longitudinal studies that examine child development, school readiness, and early school experiences.
  
• 2011, National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES): This site provides access to publications and data on learning at all ages, from early childhood to school age through adulthood.