Childcare Landscape Study - Flipbook - Page 52
Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study Results
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Families eligible for child care certificates may face a twofold barrier when seeking child
care: state funding limitations restrict access to certificates, and limited capacity within
programs that accept certificates may further constrain families’ ability to secure child care.
Conclusion
Center-based child care accounts for the vast majority of the child care supply in greater
Davidson County, yet overall full-day actual capacity among centers may be limited
compared to the number of families with young children seeking care. Across the region, the
local child population far outpaces the supply of center-based child care, with only enough
slots for approximately half of children under age 5 whose parents are in the workforce.
Existing full-day actual capacity among child care centers is largely full. Less than 14
percent of centers’ slots among their current full-day actual capacity are open and available
to families seeking care. Further, many reported openings reflect expected short-term
turnover between children. As a result, families across the region may frequently face
substantial challenges securing child care that fits their needs and preferences. Limited child
care supply can create severe challenges for the tens of thousands of local working families
who depend on stable, full-day child care to remain in the workforce.
Within this constrained supply environment, families seeking infant care and families that
rely on certificates to pay for care may face uniquely substantial barriers. Infant care supply
is especially limited, with capacity to serve just 1 out of every 5 infants in the region. For
families that are eligible for child care certificates, access is constrained by both state-level
funding barriers and, for families that do successfully obtain a certificate, access to a
certificate-supported slot is not guaranteed. Further, because barriers to access care can
often overlap, families with infants who rely on certificates may face compounded
challenges when trying to find child care in the region.
With the population of young children exceeding the supply of center-based child care, local
child care centers are often able to fill their classrooms with little difficulty. However, child
care supply shortages may leave families on long waitlists, piecing together different
informal child care options, or unable to access care altogether.
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center 2026
www.pn3policy.org
