Definition: Estimated percentage of children ages 0-12 with parents in the labor force for whom licensed child care spaces are available and unavailable (e.g, in 2023, licensed child care spaces were available for 25.6% of children with working parents in California).
Data Source: California Child Care Resource and Referral Network, California Child Care Portfolio (May 2025); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey public use microdata (Dec. 2024).
Footnote: Children with parents in the labor force are those in single-parent families with one working parent and those in two-parent families with two working parents. These data are calculated by dividing the total number of licensed child care spaces by an estimate of the number of children with parents in the labor force. Due to differences in methodology, these figures may differ from those in the California Child Care Portfolio. This indicator represents a broad measure of child care demand. Not all children in working families need licensed child care; some may be cared for by family members, nannies, friends, or in unlicensed care. N/A means that data are not available.
