What’s Happening in Child Care?
New Survey Shows Persistent Child Care Challenges
What’s Happening in Child Care? New Survey Shows Persistent Challenges
Child care plays a critical role in supporting families, communities, and the economy. However, child care providers face ongoing challenges, including funding issues, and increasing competition with school districts. Our latest Q4 (October – December 2024) survey, which gathered 288 responses, highlights the current state of child care in our region and what needs attention.
Read on to learn about the initial findings, including updates on child care capacity, staffing, subsidies, and providers at risk of closing. Stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis in the coming months.
First-Glance Findings:
Child Care Capacity and Access in Kansas City
- Sixty-seven percent of centers are not at capacity, an improvement from 82% in Q3. Family child care improved from 45% to 55%.
- Staffing also shows signs of improvement — 36% of centers reported being fully staffed in Q3 compared to 45% in Q4.
- One in four, say these shortages are significantly hindering their ability to enroll more children.
- The most frequently reported barrier to improving enrollment is that families can’t afford tuition (47%).
Child Care Assistance Challenges in Kansas and Missouri
- Only 58% (59% in Missouri and 48% in Kansas) of child care centers currently accept state subsidies — highlighting ongoing barriers to making this resource accessible.
- This limits low-income families’ ability to access affordable care and creates financial strain on providers who rely on consistent income streams to operate sustainably.
Growing Child Care Competition for Preschoolers
- More child care providers are reporting school district programs as a barrier to filling preschool slots.
Fifty-five percent reported openings for 3 to 5-year-old children while only 19% reported openings for infants, and 32% reported no openings. - These slots often subsidize the cost of care for younger children, meaning under-enrollment creates financial instability and forces providers to raise prices or cut services, compounding affordability issues for families.
Child Care Instability and Uncertainty Persists
- Sixteen programs indicated a high likelihood of closure in the next 12 months. This was up from 11 in Q3.
- The top reasons were, “families cannot afford tuition” (47%) and “families are not contacting me to enroll” (46%).
Take Action: Advocate for a Stronger Child Care System
Advocating for policies that support child care is crucial to creating a system that works for both families and providers. By supporting policy changes that streamline subsidies, improve funding, and reduce barriers, we can make child care more accessible and sustainable. It’s easy to get involved — just sign up for our advocacy alerts to learn about simple ways you can help make a difference.