DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38303.v2
title: National Database of Childcare Prices, [United States], 2008-2018
title: Version 2

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 an 11-year period (2008-2018, 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 (U.S. Department of Labor, Women's Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices: Final 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. <strong>Appendix A:</strong> Data Collection Protocol and Decisions Made During Data Entry Process, Including State Nuances <strong>Appendix B:</strong> List of Imputations Performed for Each State and Year <strong>Appendix C:</strong> Initial Price Modes per States' MRS Reports <strong>Appendix D:</strong> Data Dictionary and Additional Imputation Methodology <strong>Appendix E:</strong> Making the Database Accessible
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 2018.
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 2018 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: The National Database of Childcare Prices (NDCP) is designed for county-level analytical uses and data are provided at the county level only. Data do not come from a sample, thus no weights are provided. Researchers seeking to use the data for a state or national study should keep in mind that childcare prices vary by county size. Out of 3,142 counties in the NDCP, 2,548 counties have populations smaller than 100,000 and 138 counties have populations of 500,000 or greater. However, nearly half of the U.S. population lives in the largest 138 counties. Larger counties have more expensive childcare prices that apply to more individuals. County weights to account for population size are not provided, thus smaller counties with lower prices outnumber larger counties with higher prices. Adjustment by county population size is recommended in any state- or national-level study.
description: Response Rates: ICF requested previously-published market rate surveys (MRS) from Lead Agencies of all U.S. states and the District of Columbia. 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 approach yielded data for a total of 48 states and the District of Columbia. Indiana and New Mexico did not have compatible MRS and could not be included in the NDCP. Furthermore, not all states have available data in all years. Each individual MRS conducted by the states has an associated response rate. Out of all usable MRS reports received for the NDCP, the median response rate for center-based care providers was 65 percent and 57 percent for home-based care providers.
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], 2008-2018
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.<strong>Acknowledgments</strong> The NDCP Project Team thanks the following individuals for their participation in the approval, contract management, development, or review of the NDCP or the NDCP imputation panels. ICF: Ruth Bowell, Ken Branscome, Bridget Brown, Bryana Carrol, Janetta Deppa, Kristie Healey, Dominic Modicamore, Alix Naugler, and Randy ZuWallack. U.S. Department of Labor: Tiffany Boiman, Hattie Carson, Amy Burnett Cross, Reeba Daniel, Mark deWolf, Nikki Graf, Joan Harrigan-Farrelly, Patricia Humphlett, Rachel Johnson, Liana Christin Landivar, Gretchen Livingston, Paris Mack, Sarah Miller, and Michel Smyth. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Francesca Longo, Ivelisse Martinez-Beck, Helen Papadopoulos, Dawn Ramsburg, and Andrew Williams. Jocelyn Bowne, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Melinda Denham, New York State Office of Children and Family Services Dionne Dobbins, Child Care Aware of America Monica Faulkner, The University of Texas at Austin Kristina Haynie, Child Care Aware of America Heather Laffler, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Jeannie Mills, WRMA, Inc. Daniel Schroeder, Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources Amanda Ward, Minnesota Department of Human Services Tonya Williams, Arkansas Department of Human ServicesFor additional information about this study, please see the U.S. Department of Labor's webpage for the NDCP.