Child Care Deserts and Their Impact
Written by:
Wilson College
• Sep 22, 2025
Nearly 70% of American children under the age of 6 have parents who are in the workforce, according to a 2024 report from the Center for American Progress (CAP). However, nearly a fourth of U.S. families (23%) don’t have access to care for children while parents are at work, the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) reported in 2024.
Many families lack access to care because their areas offer few childcare options. Areas with little to no access to affordable, high-quality care for young children—often called childcare deserts—present significant challenges for children, parents, and community development.
An increase in the number of early childhood educators is one way to address these challenges for children, families, and communities. Earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education can provide the foundation for a career assisting the youngest learners and supporting families and the economy.
What Is a Child Care Desert?
Childcare deserts are geographic areas or communities that have limited or no access to reliable and affordable care for children. This can mean a lack of childcare centers or a lack of space in existing centers.
Nearly a decade ago, CAP developed measures to evaluate whether a community qualifies as a childcare desert. CAP defines childcare deserts as communities that have at least 50 children under age 5 and more than three children for every slot of licensed care available. (Licensing indicates that a childcare facility meets state health and safety requirements.)
Many areas that are childcare deserts have low population density, which can make it difficult for childcare providers to sustain their businesses. A 2023 report from Kindercare noted that 3 in 5 rural areas are childcare deserts.
Another factor that can lead to a childcare desert is a high cost of living, making it a struggle for families to afford what care is available.
How Do Child Care Deserts Impact Children and Families?
The scarcity of childcare is more than an inconvenience for working parents. Childcare deserts can affect children’s development, parents’ careers, and local economies. Below are some of the impacts of childcare deserts.
Early Learning
A 2023 research brief from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) noted that structured care and learning encourage healthy cognitive and social development, which occurs rapidly during early childhood. A lack of high-quality care and education deprives children of valuable opportunities to learn, socialize, and strengthen the skills they need to succeed in school.
Job Opportunities
Child care deserts can hamper parents’ ability to meet work commitments, making it difficult for them to advance in jobs and careers and provide financial support for their families. A 2023 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) showed that from 2020 to 2021 13% of parents with children under 5 reported quitting or changing jobs or declining an offer because of difficulty securing childcare.
Economic Growth
When parents can’t find affordable, quality care for their children, the economy suffers. A 2025 calculator from the First Five Years Fund (FFYF) indicates that the United States loses $122 billion each year in earnings, revenue, and productivity because of a scarcity of childcare.
How to Combat Child Care Deserts
The importance of access to safe and affordable childcare—and the frequent lack of access to this care—make ending childcare deserts an important goal. Below are two approaches that could make childcare more readily available.
Increasing Support
A 2024 report from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) cited the inability of centers to cover costs and the difficulty parents have in affording care among the biggest challenges facing childcare facilities. Additional government and private support for families and providers could cover gaps left after a federal program that assisted childcare centers during the COVID-19 pandemic expired in 2023. This support could help sustain existing centers and encourage the opening of new facilities.
Adding Educators
Among childcare center directors reporting enrollment issues in the NAEYC report, 89% also noted staffing shortages. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects about 61,400 openings for preschool teachers between 2023 and 2033. That equates to 4% job growth needed to meet the increasing demand for early education providers.
Become Part of the Child Care Deserts Solution
If you’re interested in a career that can prepare you to fill the critical need for preschool educators and administrators, explore the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Early Childhood Education degree program at Wilson College Online.
You’ll learn strategies for instruction and classroom management and receive mentoring from experienced teaching professionals. You’ll learn through an asynchronous program that offers you the flexibility to manage other commitments. Also, you’ll complete student teaching in Pennsylvania, preparing for careers teaching pre-K through fourth grade.
Discover how the B.A. in Early Childhood Education can help you reach your professional goals while addressing childcare needs.
Recommended Readings
5 Outdoor Learning Activities for Early Childhood Educators
How to Become a Preschool Teacher
Sources:
Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Impact of the High Cost of Child Care
Center for American Progress, “A 2024 Review of Child Care and Early Learning in the United States”
Child Care Aware of Missouri, Child Care Deserts
ChildCare.gov, What Is Child Care Licensing?
First Five Years Fund, How a Lack of Affordable Child Care Impacts the Economy
Kindercare, How to Bridge the Child Care Gap
Tootris, “The Child Care Desert: When Supply Can’t Keep Up With Demand”
