Child care access challenges are widespread across the country, but the scale and complexity of the problem can make it difficult for policymakers to know where to begin. Traditional measures of access focus primarily on comparing an estimated demand for care with the number of available “slots.” However, this approach does not adequately capture the preferences, needs, and tradeoffs families must consider every day related to things like affordability, quality, location, and hours, along with whether the care arrangement is able to support their child’s development.
To better understand access from a family’s perspective, the newly launched ECE Access Center at Child Trends conducted a national survey of parents with children under age 6. The survey used a measure called the Misalignment Index, which identifies the gap between the care families need and want and the care they are using. The Misalignment Index offers a practical tool for understanding where current child care systems and policies could be strengthened to improve access to the types of care families seek. By identifying these specific gaps, early learning leaders and policymakers can gain actionable insights that provide a more nuanced understanding of possible pathways to addressing access challenges in ways that are responsive to the needs and preferences of the children and families they serve.
Key Findings
- Almost two thirds of families using any type of paid or unpaid nonparental child care arrangement (64%) reported moderate to high misalignment between their current child care arrangement and their family’s needs and preferences.
- Affordability is not the only challenge families face. Families also seek care that simultaneously meets multiple needs—in addition to cost—such as quality and location. In fact, families consistently identified quality and cost as non-negotiable features of their care arrangement.
- The primary drivers of families’ searches for new care arrangements are affordability (40%), finding a program that better supports their child’s learning (35%), and proximity to home or work (28%).
- High levels of misalignment contribute to instability in child care arrangements.
- Families with lower incomes who did not have access to a child care subsidy face an especially constrained set of choices in finding care that meets their non-negotiable needs.
Three Key Takeaways for Policymakers
- Affordability is a widespread barrier with unequal impacts on families, particularly those with lower incomes who have access to fewer viable child care options and a greater likelihood of needing to rely on care that does not adequately meet their needs.
- Access is shaped by several interconnected factors for families, including cost, quality, and location. As a result, to meaningfully improve access, policymakers must better understand the unique constellation of needs and challenges experienced by the families they serve.
- Misalignment can contribute to changes in child care arrangements, which can create instability for parents, children, and child care providers.
Using the Misalignment Index in Your State or Community
Child Trends’ 2025 Child Care Access Survey demonstrates how the Misalignment Index can provide actionable insights into how well child care options align with families’ needs and preferences. The ECE Access Center at Child Trends works with state and community leaders to apply this approach in local contexts. Through these partnerships, the ECE Access Center helps leaders collect and use data to better target investments, refine policy strategies, and strengthen child care systems so they better reflect what families need.
Interested in examining child care access from a family perspective or using the Misalignment Index in your state or community?
Contact Dr. Sarah Daily, Early Childhood Education Program Area Director, Child Trends at sdaily@childtrends.org or visit us at: https://www.childtrends.org/research-centers/ece-access-center
Recommended Citation
Daily, S., Hirilall, A., Gerson, C., & Richards, K. (2026). Understanding child care access challenges requires family-centered solutions. Child Trends. DOI: 10.56417/2895y1066c