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OCR Page 1 of 20CHILD CARE: A CHALLENGE FOR AMERICA'S WORKING FAMILIES
January 7, 1998
Millions of Americans, struggling to be both good parents and good workers, rely on child care and
after-school programs to care for their children for part of each day. When President Clinton hosted the
White House Conference on Child Care on October 23, 1997, it became clear that, more than ever,
America's working families are pressed to find safe, affordable care for their children.
Millions of America's children are in child care. In 1995, of the approximately 21 million infants,
toddlers and preschool children under the age of six in the U.S., more than 12.9 million children were in
child care. Forty-five percent of children under age one were in child care on a regular basis. [National
Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education]
Children are in care for many hours each working day. In 1990, children under five whose mothers
were employed were in child care centers and family child care homes between 35 and 40 hours per
week. [Hofferth, National Child Care Survey, 1990]
Families struggle to afford child care. In 1993, the average family with an employed mother and a
child under five spent about $74 per week for child care for all preschoolers in the family. Families with
annual incomes under $14,400 that paid for care for children under five spent about 25 percent of their
income on child care, compared with six percent for families with incomes of $54,000 or more. [Casper,
L.M., What Does it Cost to Mind Our Preschoolers? U.S. Bureau of the Census, Current Population Reports, 1993]
Many children are in settings that are not healthy and safe and that do not promote early learning
and development. Recent studies have raised concerns about the quality of care:
A four-state study of quality in child care centers found that only one in seven (14 percent) were
rated good quality. [Cost, Quality and Child Outcomes in Child Care Centers, University of Colorado at
Denver, 1995]
Thirteen percent of regulated and 50 percent of unregulated family child care providers offer care
that is inadequate. [The Study of Children in Family Child Care and Relative Care, Families and Work Institute,
1994]
"Many children living in poverty receive child care that, at best, does not support their optimal
development and, at worst, may compromise their health and safety." [New Findings on Children,
Families, and Economic Self-Sufficiency, National Research Council, IOM, 1995]
The quality of child care matters. Research shows that children in better quality child care programs
have stronger language, pre-mathematics, and social skills; better relationships with their teachers; and
more positive self-perceptions. Quality has an even greater impact on at-risk children's language skills
and self-perception. [CDF: Helburn, et al. Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes in Child Care Centers, University of
Colorado, 1995]
After-school programs are in short supply. According to the Bureau of the Census, in 1997 there
were 38.8 million children between five and 14 years years old living in the U.S., and approximately 24
million school-age children with parents in the workforce or pursuing education. [1994 SIPP data from the
Bureau of the Census] Experts estimate that nearly five million school-age children spend time as "latchkey
kids" without adult supervision during a typical week.
Good after-school programs matter. Children under adult supervision in a formal program during
after-school hours show improved academic achievement and better attitudes toward school than their
peers in self- or sibling-care. [Miller and Marx, 1990, in Supplement to the National Assessment of Chapter 1]
Youth are at greatest risk of violence after the regular school day. Youth between the ages of 12 and 17
are most likely to commit violent acts or be victims themselves between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm -- a time
when they are not in school. [OJJDP 1997]
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