Child Care Among California Households With Young Children Ages 0-5

This brief uses data from the 2019–2023  California Health Interview Survey to describe the child care experiences of households with young children ages 0-5, including unmet need for child care, and household spending on child care.

Findings: The 2023 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) showed less than half of young children ages 0–5 in California have regular child care arrangements. Young children who are Latinx or who are from low-income households are less likely to use regular child care. CHIS data also indicate that nearly 1 in 5 households with children ages 0–5 are not able to secure child care when they need it for a week or longer. These households report cost of child care as the main reason that they are unable to obtain child care. Moreover, the proportion of households who spend $200 or more per week on child care has increased since 2019. These CHIS findings highlight critical gaps surrounding child care in California