- How many child care programs are licensed/regulated in 2007?
- How many Head Start programs are operating in the United States?
- How many children are enrolled in Head Start? How old are the children?
- How many states are funding pre-kindergarten programs?
- How many children, ages three and four, are enrolled in early childhood education programs?
- How many states require school districts to offer kindergarten programs?
- How many states require children to attend kindergarten?
- How many five-year-olds are enrolled in kindergarten?
- How many public elementary schools are there in the United States?
- What is the average size of public elementary schools?
- How many children are enrolled in public elementary schools (pre-k to 8th grade)?
- What types of care are children in during out-of-school time?
- What are the current state policies on tiered reimbursement and accreditation?
- What are the child care center child:staff ratios required by licensing in 2007?
- What is the maximum group size allowed in child care centers in 2007?
- What are the licensing requirements for family child care homes?
How many child care programs are licensed/regulated in 2007?
| Total Number of Licensed Centers | 110,252 |
| Total Number of Regulated Small Family Child Care Homes | 147,327 |
| Total Number of Regulated Group Family Child Care Homes | 49,967 |
| Other1 | 17,743 |
| Total Number of Licensed/Regulated Programs |
325,289 |
Note: Includes data from all states and DC, except Idaho which does not license child care at the state level. The report defines a “small family child care home” as The Children’s Foundation defines a “small family child care home” as a child care program located in the licensee’s residence that generally includes one provider and a small number of children. A “large/group family child care home” is defined as a child care program in the licensee’s residence that includes one provider, an assistant, and a larger number of children. State licensing regulations define family child care differently.
1Other licensed facilities reported by states include part-day preschools and nursery schools, school-age care facilities, registered FCC homes, Head Start programs, child placing agencies, residential programs, and others.
Source: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center and the National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study http://www.naralicensing.org/associations/4734/files/2007%20Licensing%20Study_fullreport.pdf
How many Head Start programs are operating in the United States?
In Fiscal Year 2007, there were:
- 1,604 Head Start Grantees1
- 18,275 Head Start Centers
- 49,400 Head Start Classrooms
1Grants are awarded by the ACF Regional Offices and the Office of Head Start's American Indian-Alaska Native, and Migrant and Seasonal Program Branches directly to local public agencies, private non-profit and for-profit organizations, Indian Tribes and school systems for the purpose of operating Head Start programs at the community level.
Source: Office of Head Start (2008). Head Start Program Fact Sheet. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/about/fy2008.html
How many children are enrolled in Head Start? How old are the children?
In Fiscal Year 2007, there were:
- 908,412 children enrolled in Head Start.
- 3% were 5-years-old and older
- 51% were 4-years-old
- 36% were 3-years-old
- 10% were under 3 years of age
Source: Office of Head Start (2008). Head Start Program Fact Sheet. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs/about/fy2008.html
How many states are funding prekindergarten programs?
- 45 states offer state-funded prekindergarten programs.
Source: NAEYC, Quick Facts: State Prekindergarten Programs. (April 2006). http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/ece/preKfacts.pdf
How many children, ages three and four, are enrolled in early childhood education programs?
- 43% of three-year-olds were enrolled in a center-based early childhood program in 2005.
- 69% of four- and five-year-olds were enrolled in a center-based early childhood program in 2005.
Note: Estimate is based on children who had not entered kindergarten. Center-based early childhood care and education programs include day care centers, Head Start programs, preschool, nursery school, prekindergarten, and other early childhood programs.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES, The Condition of Education 2007, Indicator 2: Enrollment in Early Childhood Education Programs. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007064.pdf
How many states require school districts to offer kindergarten programs?
- 43 states require school districts to offer kindergarten programs.
- 10 states require school districts to offer full-day kindergarten.
Source: Education Commission of the States (September 2008). State Statutes Regarding Kindergarten. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/60/7860.pdf
How many states require children to attend kindergarten?
- 15 states require children to attend kindergarten.
- 2 states require children to attend full-day kindergarten (Louisiana and West Virginia).
Source: Education Commission of the States (September 2008). State Statutes Regarding Kindergarten. http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/78/60/7860.pdf
How many five-year-olds are enrolled in kindergarten?
- In 2005, 3.9 million children were enrolled in kindergarten.
- 74% of all five-year-olds were enrolled in kindergarten.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. School Enrollment in 2005: Population Profile of the United States. (2007). http://www.census.gov/population/www/pop-profile/files/dynamic/schoolenrollment.pdf
How many public elementary schools are there in the United States?
- There were 68,990 public schools with elementary grades in 2006-2007.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics Tables and Figures 2008, Table 5. Number of educational institutions, by level and control of institution: Selected years, 1980-81 through 2006-07. (2008) http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_005.asp?referrer=list
What is the average size of public elementary schools?
- The average public elementary school had 473 pupils in 2006-2007.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics Tables and Figures 2008, Table 95. Number and percentage distribution of public elementary and secondary schools and enrollment, by type and enrollment size of school: 2006-07. http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d08/tables/dt08_095.asp?referrer=list
How many children are enrolled in public elementary schools (pre-k to 8th grade)?
As of 2008,
- 34.8 million children were enrolled in public elementary schools (pre-k to 8th grade).
- 2.7 million over age 3 were enrolled in nursery school and preschool programs.
- 3.5 million were enrolled in kindergarten.
- 14 million were enrolled in grades 1-4.
- 14.4 million were enrolled in grades 5-8.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008 American Community Survey, S.1401. School Enrollment. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/STTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-qr_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_S1401&-ds_name=ACS_2008_1YR_G00_&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format=&-CONTEXT=st
What types of care are children in during out-of-school time?
In 2001,
- Half of children in grades K-8 were cared for by a parent after school.
- 80% of children in grades K-8 were cared for by a parent before school.
- 30% of children in grades 6-8 cared for themselves after school.
- One-fifth of the children in grades K-5 attended a center- or school-based program after school.
| Type of Care Before School (2001) |
Grades K-8 Total |
Grades K-2 |
Grades 3-5 | Grades 6-8 |
| Center- or school-based program | 4% | 6% | 4% | 1% |
| Care from a relative (not a parent or guardian) | 7% | 9% | 7% | 5% |
| Care from a non-relative | 3% | 5% | 4% | 1% |
| Care for self | 6% | 1% | 4% | 14% |
| Care from a parent | 80% | 80% | 81% | 78% |
| Type of Care After School (2001) | Grades K-8 Total | Grades K-2 | Grades 3-5 | Grades 6-8 |
| Center- or school-based program | 19% | 21% | 20% | 14% |
| Care from a relative (not a parent or guardian) | 17% | 19% | 18% | 13% |
| Care from a non-relative | 6% | 10% | 6% | 3% |
| Care for self | 13% | 2% | 8% | 30% |
| Care from a parent | 50% | 52% | 51% | 46% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES. Before- and After-School Care, Programs, and Activities of Children in Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade: 2001 (April 2004). http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004008.pdf
What are the current state policies on tiered reimbursement1 and accreditation?
- 25 states and the District of Columbia pay higher child care subsidy reimbursement rates to programs that are accredited and/or meet other quality standards.2
- 19 states and the District of Columbia have statewide quality rating systems.
- 11 statewide quality rating systems link to their state’s tiered reimbursement program.
- 19 states link their quality rating systems to national accreditation.
- 7 states require state-funded prekindergarten programs to be accredited.3
1Reimbursement refers to public funds paid to child care programs that care for children receiving assistance financial to attend child care. States with a tiered reimbursement system pay a differential (or higher) reimbursement rate to programs that are of higher quality.
2NAEYC, State Policies on Accreditation, Quality Rating and Improvement Systems and Tiered Reimbursement Programs. (June 2009). http://www.naeyc.org/policy/tieredprograms
3NAEYC, State Prekindergarten Programs that Require Center-Based Early Care and Education Program Accreditation. (February 2007) http://www.naeyc.org/policy/statetrends/chart3
What are the child care center child:staff ratios required by licensing in 2007?
- The majority of states (33) require a child:staff ratio for 6-week-old infants of 4:1. Three states require a 3:1 ratio.
- 32 states require a child:staff ratio of 4:1 for 9-month old infants.
- 14 states require a child:staff ratio for 18-month-old toddlers of 6:1. An additional 13 states require ratios of 4:1.
- 10 states require a child:staff ratio of 8:1 for 27-month old toddlers. An additional 19 states require ratios of 6:1 or lower.
- 23 states require a child:staff ratio of 10:1 for 3-year-olds. An additional 9 states require 9:1 or lower.
- 17 states require a child:staff ratio for four-year-olds of 10:1.
- 15 states require a child:staff ratio for five-year-olds of 15:1. An additional 7 states require ratios of 10:1 or lower.
Source: National Child Care Information Center. Child Care Center Licensing Regulations: Child:Staff Ratios and Maximum Group Size Requirements in 2007. (October 2008). http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/ratios.html
What is the maximum group size allowed in child care centers in 2007?
- 20 states require a maximum group size of 8 for infants (6-week- & 9-month-old).
- 28 states require a maximum group size of 12 for 18-month olds
- 16 states require a maximum group of 12 for 27-month-olds.
- 5 states require a maximum group size of 18 for 3-year-olds.
- 17 states require a maximum group size of 20 for 4-year-olds.
- 9 states require a maximum group size of 20 for 5-year-olds.
- 12 states do not regulate group size for 6-week-, 9-month-, and 18-month-olds.
- 13 states do not regulate group size for 27-month-olds.
- 16 states do not regulate group size for 3- and 4 year-olds and 17 states do not regulate group size for 5-year-olds.
Source: National Child Care Information Center. Child Care Center Licensing Regulations: Child:Staff Ratios and Maximum Group Size Requirements in 2007. (October 2008). http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/ratios.html
What are the licensing requirements for family child care homes?
As of 2007,
- 3 states do not license1 family child care homes: Idaho, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
- 10 states license a family child care home when at least one child is in care.
1For family child care homes, the term licensing is used to mean any type of required regulatory process, including registration and certification.
Source: National Child Care Information Center. Threshold of Licensed Family Child Care (April 2009). http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/threshold.html
