Childcare Landscape Study - Flipbook - Page 82
Davidson County Child Care Landscape Study Results
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Figure 2: Proportion of Home-Based Child Care Full-Time Enrollment and Open Slots by Age Group
Child Age
Enrolled Slots (n)
Open Slots (n)
Actual Capacity (n)
Infant
10% (11)
23% (6)
12% (17)
Toddler
29% (33)
38% (10)
31% (43)
Preschool
61% (68)
38% (10)
57% (78)
100% (112)
100% (26)
100% (138)
Total
Source: Davidson County Child Care Provider Experience Survey. The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, 2025.
n=14. Notes: Enrolled and open slots and actual capacity data are limited to programs that responded to the survey; the total
number of enrolled slots, open slots, and actual capacity is unknown. Actual Capacity is the sum of enrolled slots and
open slots, and represents the estimated number of full-time slots Home-Based programs are able to accommodate
today. Percents may not sum to 100% because of rounding error.
A key factor limiting full-time home-based infant capacity in greater Davidson County is that
many home-based child care programs do not serve infants. Of the Child Care Provider Survey
respondents, over one-third (36%) of programs report that they do not serve infants at all,
whereas almost all (93%) programs report serving toddlers and preschoolers.
%
36
of home-based programs
do not offer full-time care for infants
Among the home-based survey respondents who report serving infants, over one-third (38%)
indicate that they are unwilling or unable to modify their infant capacity. Across all programs,
this means that more than half (57%) of home-based Child Care Provider Survey respondents
either do not serve infants or cannot serve more, underscoring the capacity limitations.
Within an already full home-based child care system, infant care is particularly scarce. The
extremely limited supply of home-based infant slots may leave many families unable to
secure the type of infant care they prefer, perhaps requiring them to accept child care
arrangements that do not fully meet their needs and preferences.
Current Directors of Licensed Home-Based Child Care Programs
Average More Than 25 Years of Experience in Early Childhood
Education
Licensed home-based care in greater Davidson County is very limited; however, among the
14 home-based survey respondents, directors report extensive professional experience.
Surveyed home-based program directors average 27 years in early childhood education and
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center 2025
www.pn3policy.org
