DOI: 10.3886/icpsr39332
title: National Database of Childcare Prices, [United States], 2008-2022
title: Archival Version

description: The National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) provides childcare prices at the county level in the United States. The NDCP is a new data source, and the most comprehensive federal source of childcare prices at the county level in the United States. The NDCP was developed to fill a need for local-level childcare price data, standardized across U.S. states. Most existing sources of childcare price data provide prices at the state level, yet parents must choose childcare providers that are in close proximity to their homes or workplaces. Therefore, state averages are unlikely to be good estimates of the prices parents encounter in the market. State average prices do not reflect the substantial variation in prices from one locale to the next within a state and underestimate prices in urban areas.
The NDCP provides data on the price of childcare by children's age groups and care setting (home-based or center-based) at the median and 75th percentile over a 15-year period (2008-2022, inclusive) at the county level. The data were obtained from state Lead Agencies responsible for conducting market rate surveys (MRS) according to Child Care and Development Fund regulations. A MRS is the collection and analysis of prices charged by childcare providers for services in the priced market. All state Lead Agencies must conduct a survey and develop a report on local childcare prices in their state every three years. The Women's Bureau contracted with ICF to obtain reports and data from previously conducted surveys to develop the NDCP. The NDCP standardizes and harmonizes data across years and geographies for about 200 previously conducted MRS. The NDCP also provides county-level demographic and economic data from the American Community Survey.
The accompanying User Guide (National Database of Childcare Prices: Technical Report) provides detailed information about the data sources, data collection strategy, standardization and imputation of the data, and data limitations to inform and assist researchers who may be interested in using the data for future analyses. The following items are provided in the User Guide as appendices.

Appendix A: Data Collection Protocol and Decisions Made During Data Entry Process, Including State Nuances
Appendix B: List of Imputations Performed for Each State and Year
Appendix C: County-Level Data Dictionary
Appendix D: Methods Used for Specific Demographic Variables - County
Appendix E: State-Level Data Dictionary
Appendix F: Methods Used for Specific Demographic Variables - State
Appendix G: 2008-2018 Imputations for County-Level Childcare Prices from Statewide Data
Appendix H: Price Quintile Ranges for State-Level Price Database
Appendix I: Summary of Additional 2008-2018 Data Added as a Result of Additional In-Between Study Imputations
description: To better understand how childcare prices affect women's labor supply, the Women's Bureau contracted ICF to compile a database of county-level childcare prices. The data were collected from state studies of childcare prices conducted between 2008 and 2022.
description: <strong>Data Sources</strong>
The National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) draws data from state childcare market rate surveys (MRS), in addition to county-level demographic and economic data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. The childcare price information requested for this database came entirely from the MRS final reports that states produced and/or the data files used to prepare the reports.
The MRS collect data on regulated childcare centers, which are typically located in commercial buildings and serve multiple groups or classrooms of similarly aged children. They also collect data on regulated family childcare homes, which care for small groups of children in a residential building, such as a house, apartment, or condo unit. While some surveys may collect data on other segments of the market, such as publicly subsidized preschool programs, Head Start or informal, unregulated family childcare, these data are not typically included in the analysis of childcare prices and were not included in the database.
<strong>Data Collection</strong>
Between December 2019 and February 2020, ICF conducted outreach to each U.S. state and the District of Columbia requesting all available MRS reports from 1998-2018. Outreach communication included mail, emails, and direct phone calls. A total of 35 states provided MRS reports during the data collection period. ICF also supplemented this outreach by searching for additional MRS reports on state childcare agency websites or other partner agency websites. This search resulted in approximately 46 additional MRS reports that were added to the database. The data collection process produced at least one year of data for each state. On average, ICF received 4.5 years of MRS data per state. Data availability pre-2008 was scarce, thus the NDCP Project Team decided to publish data available from 2008-2018, with 2022 being the most recently available year at the time of collection.
Given the variations in state methodologies and availability of MRS data, to create a complete database of county-level prices, each state required imputing some price values. Additionally, detailed imputations were carried out to populate data elements that were missing across counties and years from American Community Survey. Please see the NDCP User Guide for full details.
description: The Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices contains a public-use data set that draws data from state childcare market price surveys (MRS), in addition to county-level demographic and labor market data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates. The childcare price information requested for this database came entirely from the MRS final reports that states produced and/or the data files used to prepare the reports.
<strong>General Information That Was Extracted from MRS Reports:</strong>

State
Geographic reporting level (state, region, county, cluster)
Age span used to define age groups in the state (infants, toddlers, preschool and school-age)
Year of survey
Mode of survey administration (mail, phone, internet)
Survey response rates for center-based care
Survey response rates for family/home-based childcare

<strong>Childcare Prices Information That Was Extracted from MRS Reports (if applicable):</strong>

Median price of center-based full-time weekly care for infants
Median price of center-based full-time weekly care for toddlers
Median price of center-based full-time weekly care for preschool children
Median price of center-based full-time weekly care for school-age children
Median price of family full-time weekly childcare for infants
Median price of family full-time weekly childcare for toddlers
Median price of family full-time weekly childcare for preschool children
Median price of family full-time weekly childcare for school-age children
75th percentile price of center-based full-time weekly care for infants
75th percentile price of center-based full-time weekly care for toddlers
75th percentile price of center-based full-time weekly care for preschool children
75th percentile price of center-based full-time weekly care for school-age children
75th percentile price of family full-time weekly childcare for infants
75th percentile price of family full-time weekly childcare for toddlers
75th percentile price of family full-time weekly childcare for preschool children
75th percentile price of family full-time weekly childcare for school-age children

<strong>General Demographic and Labor Market Information That Was Extracted from ACS:</strong>

Employment rates
Unemployment rates
Labor force participation rates
Poverty rates
Earnings and income
Population and household counts
Race and ethnicity distributions
Employment distributions by major occupational group
description: Response Rates: ICF requested previously published market rate surveys (MRS) from Lead Agencies of all U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. A
total of 35 states and DC provided MRS reports during the initial data
collection period (2008-2018) and a total of 47 states and territories provided
MRS reports during the subsequent data collection period (2019-2022). For states where publicly available data was
not readily accessible or for which additional data was needed, ICF contacted
the appropriate state office following the established protocol approved by the
Office of Management and Budget.
In several states, data gaps exist for entire
counties, specific age groups, or provider types. Some states provided reasons for these gaps,
such as low response rates, insufficient provider numbers, or the
unavailability of certain types of care. However, other states did not explain
the absence of data. ICF could only
report data that was either directly obtained from the states or found in state
MRS reports online, ensuring the data's integrity.
description: All U.S. states and the District of Columbia were in the universe for the data collection. States and counties were not sampled. Data are made available for years and geographies the states had available in their market rate surveys and where possible to impute missing data with adequate precision at the county level.
description: Datasets: 
DS1: National Database of Childcare Prices, [United States], 2008-2022
description: All U.S. counties. Smallest Geographic Unit: County
description: mail questionnaire; telephone interviewThe study team at the Department of Labor Women's Bureau cannot answer questions directly about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Market Rate Survey briefs, which are available to download in this collection.For additional information on the Childcare Prices study, please visit the National Database of Childcare Prices website.This study is related to ICPSR 38303 "National Database of Childcare Prices, [United States], 2008-2018". Please refer to both studies for similar study information and characteristics.