Accessibility of the early care and education supply: Variation within the center-based provider sector

Center-based early care and education (ECE) is important for promoting positive early development and supporting families by providing child care so parents can work. However, the center-based supply varies substantially in terms of funding sources, indicators of quality, and services offered; and many families experience a lack of equitable access to providers that meet their needs. Using a nationally representative sample of the center-based supply from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education, this study examined patterns in the services center-based providers offer that may facilitate or pose barriers to families’ access from a multidimensional lens. Two research questions were investigated using latent class analysis: First, are there patterns of provider accessibility within the center-based supply, and second, are there covariates (i.e., funding, community poverty/ urban density, geographic region) that explain patterns of ECE access? Center-based features selected as indicators were informed by a definition of access comprised of multiple dimensions: availability, affordability, supports children’s development, and meets parent’s needs. Class enumeration suggested that a three-class model provided the best fit, indicating three patterns of program accessibility: providers that were: flexible at cost (25.9%), free but inflexible (29.2%), and somewhat accessible (44.9%). Additional covariate analyses revealed providers were significantly more or less likely to be classified into the latent classes of access according to community and funding characteristics. Notably, programs receiving Head Start and public preschool funding and those in communities with high poverty and urban density were more likely to be assigned to the free but inflexible class. A key component driving ECE utilization is the accessibility of providers, and these findings inform recommendations for future research and policy to better serve the needs of families with young children.