Every day, we see headlines like these:
Wisconsin Mothers Search for Solutions to Child Care Deserts
Missouri Child Care Deserts Pose Issues for Parents and Providers
Colorado's Child Care Gaps Laid Bare by Pandemic with Never-Ending Wait Lists, Exorbitant Costs
And it’s no wonder, the Center for American Progress states that 51% of people in the United States live in a child care desert, and in Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, more than 70% of people live in a child care desert!
But what is a child care desert, exactly? The Center for American Progress defines it as a census tract with more than 50 children under age 5 but has no licensed child care providers OR more than 3 times as many children as licensed child care slots.
So, if 50% of the population of the United States lives in a place where 2/3 of children don’t have child care, we need to ask an important question: Where are all the children?
The key lies in one important word in the child care desert definition: licensed.
There is not enough licensed care in these child care deserts. Now, make no mistake, families across the country are struggling to find and afford child care. There is no question about that. Every day, parents make phone call after phone call just to be told there is no room. So, what do they do with their kids while they work?
Enter Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Care
According to the National Survey of Early Care and Education, FFN care is the most common type of care in the US.
FFN care is also called legally exempt, unregulated, or kith and kin care, and it is a fancy name for a simple concept: someone you know watching your kids. These caregivers may be grandparents, uncles and aunts, siblings, elders, friends, or neighbors.
Some families are relying on FFN care because they have no other choice, they piece together care day by day, with a child at Grandma’s on Monday, my friend Susan’s house on Tuesday, and my extremely generous neighbor’s house on Wednesday. This can be incredibly difficult and disruptive for both the child and parents.
However, some parents prefer FFN care, for a number of reasons. Use of FFN care is especially prevalent among families with infants and toddlers, immigrants, refugees, rural families, children with special needs, and parents who have nontraditional work schedules. This is not surprising, families want care to be provided by someone they trust, who shares their values and language, and who can accommodate their schedules. And for infants and toddlers, the intimate setting, loving environment, and small number of children to adults are incredibly valuable.
Seems to me like a solution in the making… we have a source of child care that already exists, is a better fit than licensed care for the needs and desires of many parents, and has a lot lower overhead cost than a center. What do you think? How can we turn this opportunity into a real solution for families?
Here are a few pieces worth checking out on this topic:
Please Stop Using the Phrase “Child Care Desert.” - National Women's Law Center (nwlc.org)
Elliot’s Provocations: Whither Family, Friends & Neighbor Care? - Early Learning Nation
