A greater percentage of 4-year-olds from the 2001 birth cohort were in a center-based setting (including Head Start) as their primary type of early education and care (57 percent) than in other arrangements.

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort of 2001 (ECLS-B) has followed a nationally representative cohort of children from birth through preschool age. This indicator presents findings on these children’s early education and child care arrangements in 2005–06, when most of the children were about 4 years old.¹

A greater percentage of 4-year-olds from the 2001 birth cohort were in a center-based setting (including Head Start) as their primary type of early education and care (57 percent) than in other arrangements such as home-based relative care² (13 percent), home-based nonrelative care (8 percent), or multiple arrangements (2 percent) (see table 2-1). The overall percentage of children in center-based settings includes children in Head Start (13 percent) as well as those in other center-based settings (45 percent). Twenty percent of children had no nonparental care and education arrangements.

Differences in the percentage of children who were in a center-based setting as their primary type of early education and care were observed by race/ethnicity. A smaller percentage of Pacific Islander children (20 percent) and Hispanic children (49 percent) were in a center-based setting as their primary type of early education and care than their White, Black, Asian, or American Indian/Alaska Native peers (60 to 62 percent).

Racial and ethnic differences in the use of Head Start as the primary type of early education and child care were observed. A larger percentage of Black children (25 percent) and American Indian children (31 percent) were in Head Start as their primary type of early education and care than their White (7 percent) and Asian peers (5 percent).

The percentage of children who were in a center-based setting increased as parents’ highest level of education increased. For example, 43 percent of children about 4 years old whose parents’ highest level of education was less than high school were enrolled in a center-based setting, compared with 71 percent of their peers whose parents’ highest level of education was any graduate or professional school.

¹ Findings are based on all children who participated in the ECLS-B. Although most of the children in the sample were about 4 years old during the 2005–06 interview (74.6 percent were between 48 and 57.9 months), some 16 percent were younger than 4 years old (between 44 and 48 months), and 9 percent were between 58 and 65 months. Findings are representative of the approximately 4 million children born in the United States in 2001. (back to text)

² Care provided in the child’s home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents). (back to text)