Research Facts & Figures > Education, Research & Child Care > Child Care Data
Child Care
Data
Data source: California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, www.rrnetwork.org
Research Facts & Figures > Education, Research & Child Care > Child Care Data
Data source: California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, www.rrnetwork.org
Shortages of licensed child care persist throughout the state of California, and the East Bay is no exception. In Alameda County, there are 157,639 children needing child care (children living with two employed parents or an employed single head of household) and only 52,883 child care slots, leaving a gap of 104,756 slots. In Contra Costa County, there are 108,889 children needing care and only 37,811 slots, for a gap of 71,078 slots. The shortages are most acute for infant care. Even after accounting for the fact that some parents use friends or relatives as caregivers, these dramatic shortages are a significant problem for working parents.
Child Care Access by County Dundas Chart
While the cost of care in Alameda and Contra Costa counties is lower than in San Francisco, San Mateo, or Santa Clara counties, it is considerably higher than in the bordering counties of Stanislaus and San Joaquin. While families with low enough incomes can qualify for subsidies, there are long waiting lists, particularly for families that have not been on CalWORKs. Furthermore, the high cost of living in the Bay Area means that even middle income families, who are not eligible for child care subsidies, can have significant trouble paying for child care. For example, care for an infant and a preschooler in a licensed center costs 29% of the median household income in Contra Costa County and 33% of median income in Alameda County. The annual cost of full-time, center-based care for an infant is almost three times the cost of tuition for two semesters at the University of California – Berkeley. Because of the high operating cost of child care, this burden on parents will not be alleviated without increased private and public investment
Child Care Average Cost by County Dundas Chart
Quality of care is crucial, but it is also very difficult to measure. One indicator of quality is accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Unfortunately, the East Bay lags behind other counties in this respect. A key factor in child care quality is an educated staff with low turnover. However, the low wages in the child care industry make it very difficult to attract and retain workers, particularly those with higher levels of education. While efforts such as the Child Development Corps (which pays stipends to child care workers who take early childhood education classes) represent progress, much remains to be done.
A website specifically for childcare, www.kidsdata.org , provides more information on childcare in the East Bay.