While parents nationally most often choose Home-Based Child Care (HBCC) for their children under 5, (30% of infants and toddlers in HBCC settings compared to only 12% in child care centers), Candelen’s Arizona Family Research Study found that 53% of surveyed parents reported that their child was cared for in a home-based setting most of the time. That data prompted a closer look at the experiences of Arizona families who use HBCC and the characteristics and practices of HBCC providers.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected all of us. We wanted to know how Arizona families were responding to meet child care and employment needs, and if changes in choices or decision-making were temporary or long-lasting.
This report explores the criteria families prioritize when making child care decisions, current child care usage, perfect world arrangements families would prefer, and the impact of COVID-19 on Arizona’s working families and their child care choices.
