Childcare DisruptionsChildcare Disruptions in United StatesUnited States
Childcare Disruptions
United States
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United States Value:
32.7%
Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
Childcare Disruptions by State
Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
Childcare Disruptions Trends
Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
Trend: Childcare Disruptions in United States, Covid 19 Report Staging
Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
United States
Source:
National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
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Childcare Disruptions
Trend: Childcare Disruptions in United States, Covid 19 Report Staging
Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
United States
Source:
National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB)
About Childcare Disruptions
US Value: 32.7%
Top State(s): Utah: 15.5%
Bottom State(s): Vermont: 43.2%
Definition: Percentage of children ages 0-11 whose regular daycare or childcare arrangements were closed or unavailable because of the coronavirus pandemic
Data Source and Years: National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), 2021
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of National Survey of Children's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2023.
Child care allows parents to work and contribute to the economy. Prior to the pandemic, more than half of all children ages 0-5 were receiving care from someone other than their parent or guardian. A study of working parents found that inadequate child care can have serious negative effects on work performance and career opportunities, including forcing parents to reduce work hours, decline additional training or turn down promotions or new positions. The economic burden of inadequate child care is estimated at over $3,000 annually per working parent of a child younger than 3, an aggregate of nearly $37 billion a year.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many families experienced major disruptions to school and childcare services. One study found that 77% of families experienced at least one disruption to school or childcare services during the fall of 2020. Another study found that about two-thirds of childcare centers closed in April 2020 due to the pandemic and there was decreased demand for in-person childcare. Approximately 25% of families that experienced a disruption either reduced work hours or took paid/unpaid leave in order to care for their children during the pandemic.
Updated 9/16/22
Belfield, Clive R. “The Economic Impacts of Insufficient Child Care on Working Families.” ReadyNation/Council for a Strong America, September 2018. https://strongnation.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/522/3c5cdb46-eda2-4723-9e8e-f20511cc9f0f.pdf.
Lee, Emma K., and Zachary Parolin. “The Care Burden during COVID-19: A National Database of Child Care Closures in the United States.” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World 7 (January 2021): 237802312110320. https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211032028.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. “Piecing Together Solutions: The Importance of Childcare to U.S. Families and Businesses.” U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Center for Education and Workforce, December 2020. https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/sites/default/files/EarlyEd_Minis_Report6_121420_Final.pdf.
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