Child Care in the Time of Coronavirus Disease-19: A Period of Challenge and Opportunity

Abstract

The early care and education of young children, more commonly known as child care, is a ubiquitous experience in the US across geographies and socioeconomic levels. Nationally, more than 12 million children—or nearly two-thirds of children under 5 years of age—regularly participate in out-of-home care, making early care and education a $47.2 billion industry with a workforce of more than 1.5 million child care providers.1-3 Early care and education involves children from birth through kindergarten entry, a time when organized, group care, including child care centers, family child care homes, preschool, and Head Start programs represent the majority of child care arrangements.