This report takes an in-depth look at the supply and price of child care across the United States. This year’s findings tell a story of progress—and of fragility.
After years of strategic federal and state investment during the pandemic, child care supply grew. Our report shows a 1.6% increase in center-based programs and, notably, a 4.8% increase in licensed family child care (FCC) homes from 2023-2024, with four states (CA, KS, MA, VA) largely driving the national FCC increase. This is the first rise in FCC supply we’ve seen in years. These gains reflect what many of you on the ground already know: smart state policies and sustained investments can move the needle.
But the data also remind us that this momentum is not guaranteed—and that child care supply is only one part of the solution to America’s child care challenges.
Child care prices continue to rise—up 29% since 2020, outpacing inflation—and families in nearly every state pay more for care than they do for housing, college tuition, or other major expenses. Access also remains uneven: in 29 of the 39 states we analyzed over time, FCC supply is still declining. And without stable funding, recent gains could quickly erode.
The growth we’re seeing in supply is real—and worth celebrating. But too many families are still struggling to find affordable, high-quality child care. To truly meet families’ needs, we must invest in the people who make child care possible—through intentional strategies to recruit, retain, and support providers—and in other effective strategies to strengthen the child care system.
Thank you, Susan Gale Perry, for sharing your thoughts on CCoA’s report, and the landscape of child care in America!
View the report here.
