Question:
What are the most prevalent forms of child care?
Response:
A higher percentage of 4-year-old children (57 percent) were cared for primarily in center-based programs during the day in 2005–06 than had no regular nonparental care (20 percent) or were cared for primarily in home-based settings by relatives (13 percent) or by nonrelatives (8 percent). There were differences in the average quality of care children received in these settings. A higher percentage of children in Head Start and other center-based programs (35 percent) received high-quality care than those in home-based relative and nonrelative care (9 percent), according to the ratings of trained observers.
Percentage distribution of children at about 4 years of age, by primary type of child care arrangement and selected characteristics: 2005-06 | ||||||
Characteristic | No regular nonparental arrangement | Home-based care | Center-based care1 | |||
Relative care> | Non-relative care> | Total | Head Start2> | Other than Head Start3> | ||
Total | 20.0 | 13.1 | 7.6 | 57.4 | 12.6 | 44.8 |
Sex of child | ||||||
Male | 19.3 | 13.1 | 7.5 | 58.0 | 12.9 | 45.1 |
Female | 20.7 | 13.2 | 7.7 | 56.8 | 12.4 | 44.4 |
Race/ethnicity of child | ||||||
White | 17.9 | 11.0 | 9.2 | 60.0 | 6.8 | 53.3 |
Black | 16.3 | 13.9 | 4.4 | 62.1 | 25.1 | 37.0 |
Hispanic | 27.3 | 15.9 | 6.2 | 49.3 | 18.6 | 30.7 |
Asian | 17.1 | 16.1 | 3.6 | 60.9 | 5.5 | 55.3 |
Pacific Islander | 22.3 | 45.0 | ‡ | 19.9 | 5.0 | 14.9 |
American Indian/Alaska Native | 19.9 | 14.0 | 5.2 | 59.7 | 31.0 | 28.7 |
Two or more races | 17.9 | 17.6 | 9.1 | 53.6 | 11.1 | 42.5 |
‡ Reporting standards not met.
1Care provided in places such as early learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools.
2Care provided in the child’s home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents).
3Care provided in the child’s home or in another private home by a person unrelated to the child.
NOTE: Primary type of child care arrangement is the type of nonparental care in which the child spent the most hours. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012–001), Table 56.
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