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Digest of Education Statistics
2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 202.50. Percentage distribution of children at about 2 and 4 years of age, by type of child care arrangement and selected child and family characteristics: 2003-04 and 2005-06
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected child and family characteristics Children at about 2 years of age in 2003-04 Children at about 4 years of age in 2005-06
Percentage distribution of children1 Percentage distribution by primary type of care arrangement2 Percentage distribution of children7 Percentage distribution by primary type of care arrangement2
No regular nonparental care Home-based care Center-based care5 Multiple arrange- ments6 No regular nonparental care Home-based care Center-based care5 Multiple arrange- ments6
Relative care3 Nonrelative care4 Relative care3 Nonrelative care4 Total Head Start Other than Head Start
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Total 100.0   (†) 50.5   (0.74) 18.5   (0.62) 14.6   (0.51) 15.8   (0.50) 0.5   (0.10) 100.0   (†) 20.0   (0.65) 13.1   (0.61) 7.6   (0.32) 57.4   (0.81) 12.6   (0.64) 44.8   (0.71) 1.9   (0.21)
Sex of child                                                                                    
Male 51.2   (0.08) 50.0   (0.96) 19.1   (0.79) 14.3   (0.61) 16.3   (0.65) 0.3   (0.07) 51.2   (0.11) 19.3   (0.80) 13.1   (0.79) 7.5   (0.51) 58.0   (0.98) 12.9   (0.80) 45.1   (1.02) 2.1   (0.33)
Female 48.8   (0.08) 51.1   (1.01) 18.0   (0.78) 14.9   (0.71) 15.2   (0.63) 0.8   (0.19) 48.8   (0.11) 20.7   (0.90) 13.2   (0.86) 7.7   (0.52) 56.8   (1.02) 12.4   (0.74) 44.4   (0.92) 1.7   (0.20)
                                                                                     
Race/ethnicity of child                                                                                    
White 53.6   (0.54) 50.8   (1.08) 14.9   (0.88) 17.0   (0.74) 16.9   (0.74) 0.5   (0.13) 53.8   (0.59) 17.9   (0.98) 11.0   (0.74) 9.2   (0.49) 60.0   (1.04) 6.8   (0.61) 53.3   (1.00) 1.9   (0.28)
Black 13.7   (0.24) 37.3   (1.39) 25.8   (1.51) 12.0   (1.30) 24.2   (1.15) 0.8 ! (0.24) 13.8   (0.26) 16.3   (1.38) 13.9   (1.49) 4.4   (0.73) 62.1   (2.08) 25.1   (1.98) 37.0   (1.88) 3.3   (0.65)
Hispanic 25.3   (0.37) 57.5   (1.39) 21.4   (1.14) 11.5   (0.94) 9.2   (0.94)   (†) 25.1   (0.42) 27.3   (1.36) 15.9   (1.14) 6.2   (0.78) 49.3   (1.57) 18.6   (1.23) 30.7   (1.64) 1.2   (0.29)
Asian 2.7   (0.09) 55.3   (2.17) 23.8   (1.44) 10.8   (1.05) 9.6   (1.39)   (†) 2.6   (0.09) 17.1   (1.71) 16.1   (1.44) 3.6   (0.70) 60.9   (2.02) 5.5   (0.90) 55.3   (2.12) 2.3 ! (1.05)
Pacific Islander 0.2   (0.04) 73.2   (9.89) 23.8 ! (9.95)   (†)   (†)   (†) 0.2   (0.05) 22.3 ! (6.82) 45.0 ! (14.27)   (†) 19.9 ! (7.94)   (†) 14.9 ! (6.47)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5   (0.06) 57.3   (3.16) 17.4   (3.10) 11.6 ! (3.85) 13.8   (2.72)   (†) 0.5   (0.05) 19.9   (2.40) 14.0   (2.06) 5.2   (1.45) 59.7   (3.57) 31.0   (4.71) 28.7   (5.61)   (†)
Two or more races 4.0   (0.28) 46.3   (2.87) 20.0   (1.71) 13.2   (2.23) 19.3   (2.18)   (†) 4.0   (0.28) 17.9   (2.14) 17.6   (2.43) 9.1   (2.16) 53.6   (3.47) 11.1   (2.35) 42.5   (3.22) 1.8 ! (0.85)
                                                                                     
Age of child                                                                                    
22 or fewer months 1.9   (0.29) 58.6   (4.73) 21.0   (4.62) 11.0 ! (3.41) 9.4   (2.77)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) (†)     (†)   (†)   (†)
23 months 38.3   (1.22) 54.1   (1.16) 17.0   (0.93) 13.6   (0.91) 14.5   (0.85) 0.7   (0.16)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) (†)     (†)   (†)   (†)
24 months 38.0   (0.89) 49.1   (1.02) 18.5   (0.95) 15.6   (0.80) 16.6   (0.87) 0.2 ! (0.10)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) (†)     (†)   (†)   (†)
25 months 12.4   (0.46) 44.9   (1.91) 23.1   (1.44) 14.7   (1.41) 16.8   (1.44)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) (†)     (†)   (†)   (†)
26 or more months 9.4   (0.60) 47.7   (2.37) 18.6   (1.82) 14.8   (1.39) 17.9   (1.60) 1.1 ! (0.54)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) (†)     (†)   (†)   (†)
                                                                                     
Less than 48 months   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 16.4   (0.57) 27.3   (1.63) 13.9   (1.48) 8.7   (0.95) 47.9   (1.77) 10.6   (1.25) 37.3   (1.91) 2.2   (0.55)
48 to 52 months   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 38.1   (0.55) 19.9   (1.01) 13.0   (0.87) 8.3   (0.60) 56.8   (1.29) 12.0   (0.79) 44.8   (1.31) 2.0   (0.37)
53 to 57 months   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 36.5   (0.57) 16.5   (0.93) 13.1   (0.83) 6.7   (0.52) 62.2   (1.33) 14.4   (1.01) 47.8   (1.23) 1.5   (0.25)
58 or more months   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†)   (†) 9.0   (0.41) 21.1   (1.98) 12.1   (1.66) 6.4   (1.09) 57.8   (2.80) 12.0   (1.70) 45.8   (2.50) 2.7   (0.75)
                                                                                     
Mother's employment status8                                                                                    
Employed full-time 34.7   (0.73) 15.7   (0.89) 30.4   (1.10) 26.0   (0.86) 27.1   (0.96) 0.8   (0.21) 34.7   (0.77) 11.3   (0.96) 16.2   (0.91) 12.1   (0.77) 58.7   (1.56) 11.5   (1.03) 47.2   (1.29) 1.7   (0.27)
Employed part-time 20.2   (0.62) 35.4   (1.53) 26.4   (1.53) 20.5   (1.37) 16.7   (1.23) 1.0 ! (0.34) 20.3   (0.63) 16.4   (1.33) 14.1   (1.20) 9.1   (0.86) 57.3   (1.70) 8.7   (1.00) 48.6   (1.65) 3.1   (0.57)
Looking for work 6.3   (0.35) 71.1   (2.30) 11.5   (1.58) 3.8   (0.95) 13.4   (2.02)   (†) 6.3   (0.36) 22.3   (2.33) 18.5   (2.33) 5.4   (1.23) 52.4   (2.83) 25.9   (2.87) 26.5   (2.33) 1.4 ! (0.56)
Not in labor force 38.4   (0.78) 86.8   (0.75) 4.8   (0.48) 3.0   (0.35) 5.4   (0.46)   (†) 38.3   (0.81) 29.4   (0.97) 8.6   (0.63) 3.3   (0.38) 57.1   (0.96) 13.7   (0.80) 43.5   (1.10) 1.6   (0.32)
No mother in household 0.4   (0.09) 21.2 ! (7.28) 33.5   (8.60) 19.5 ! (9.29) 25.9 ! (8.01)   (†) 0.4   (0.10) 11.0 ! (6.13) 36.2   (9.59)   (†) 52.5   (9.42) 21.0 ! (8.49) 31.5   (8.19)   (†)
                                                                                     
Parents' highest level
     of education
                                                                                   
Less than high school 12.8   (0.36) 67.6   (1.98) 17.5   (1.45) 6.8   (1.08) 7.7   (0.98)   (†) 10.5   (0.36) 34.2   (2.10) 16.4   (1.77) 3.7   (1.04) 43.5   (2.59) 22.4   (2.13) 21.1   (2.06) 2.1 ! (0.80)
High school completion 25.7   (0.46) 50.1   (1.47) 23.1   (1.27) 12.3   (0.97) 14.1   (0.87) 0.4 ! (0.15) 23.1   (0.57) 22.0   (1.24) 17.0   (1.20) 6.9   (0.69) 52.1   (1.87) 21.6   (1.41) 30.6   (1.49) 1.9   (0.34)
Some college/vocational 29.7   (0.48) 46.9   (1.51) 21.6   (1.22) 15.1   (0.92) 15.7   (0.94) 0.7 ! (0.21) 33.4   (0.64) 21.0   (1.24) 15.2   (0.95) 7.1   (0.56) 54.9   (1.41) 13.3   (0.99) 41.6   (1.26) 1.8   (0.33)
Bachelor's degree 16.9   (0.46) 48.6   (1.14) 14.4   (1.18) 17.8   (1.18) 18.6   (1.14) 0.7 ! (0.23) 16.8   (0.45) 16.0   (1.57) 8.4   (1.02) 8.2   (0.93) 65.6   (1.88) 3.2   (0.75) 62.4   (2.00) 1.8   (0.48)
Any graduate education 14.9   (0.35) 46.0   (1.91) 10.5   (1.05) 20.7   (1.57) 22.4   (1.49) 0.4 ! (0.16) 16.2   (0.37) 9.7   (0.83) 6.2   (0.90) 11.3   (1.16) 70.8   (1.57) 2.0   (0.52) 68.8   (1.67) 2.0   (0.52)
                                                                                     
Poverty status9                                                                                    
Below poverty threshold 23.9   (0.75) 61.8   (1.40) 18.0   (1.15) 7.8   (0.79) 11.7   (0.92) 0.7 ! (0.24) 24.8   (0.64) 27.5   (1.27) 15.1   (1.19) 4.4   (0.54) 51.0   (1.61) 26.3   (1.45) 24.7   (1.20) 2.0   (0.40)
At or above poverty threshold 76.1   (0.75) 47.0   (0.90) 18.7   (0.68) 16.7   (0.62) 17.1   (0.60) 0.5   (0.11) 75.2   (0.64) 17.5   (0.71) 12.5   (0.64) 8.6   (0.39) 59.5   (0.86) 8.1   (0.57) 51.4   (0.85) 1.9   (0.22)
                                                                                     
Socioeconomic status10                                                                                    
Lowest 20 percent 20.0   (0.48) 66.7   (1.43) 17.2   (1.20) 6.8   (0.75) 8.9   (0.72) 0.4 ! (0.18) 20.0   (0.52) 30.5   (1.31) 14.9   (1.33) 5.0   (0.69) 47.2   (1.84) 24.9   (1.58) 22.4   (1.47) 2.3   (0.58)
Middle 60 percent 60.0   (0.67) 46.8   (0.98) 21.8   (0.78) 15.1   (0.63) 15.8   (0.58) 0.6   (0.15) 60.0   (0.67) 19.7   (0.86) 15.1   (0.82) 7.4   (0.49) 56.0   (1.09) 12.4   (0.80) 43.6   (0.90) 1.8   (0.23)
Highest 20 percent 20.0   (0.48) 45.9   (1.75) 10.2   (0.85) 20.8   (1.52) 22.6   (1.45) 0.5 ! (0.21) 20.0   (0.47) 10.4   (0.93) 5.4   (0.73) 10.7   (0.91) 71.6   (1.39) 1.0   (0.23) 70.5   (1.42) 1.9   (0.42)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Distribution of weighted Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort survey population with data on primary care arrangements.
2 Primary type of care arrangement is the type of nonparental care in which the child spent the most hours.
3 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a relative (excluding parents).
4 Care provided in the child's home or in another private home by a person unrelated to the child.
5 Care provided in places such as early learning centers, nursery schools, and preschools.
6 Children who spent an equal amount of time in each of two or more arrangements.
7 Distribution of weighted Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort survey population between 44 and 65 months of age with data on primary care arrangements.
8 Mothers who reported working at least 35 hours per week are defined as employed full time, while those who reported working less than 35 hours per week are defined as employed part time. Those neither employed nor looking for work are not in the labor force.
9 Poverty status based on Census Bureau guidelines from 2002 (for 2-year-olds in 2003-04) and 2005 (for 4-year-olds in 2005-06), which identify a dollar amount determined to meet a household's needs, given its size and composition. In 2002, a family of four was considered to live below the poverty threshold if its income was less than or equal to $18,392 (in current dollars).
10 Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by a composite score based on parental education and occupations, and family income.
NOTE: Data are based on a representative sample of children born in 2001. Estimates for children at about 2 years of age weighted by W2R0. Estimates for children at about 4 years of age weighted by W3R0. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and suppression of cells that do not meet standards. Some data have been revised from previously published figures.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort 9-month–Kindergarten Restricted-Use Data File and Electronic Codebook. (This table was prepared December 2010.)

2018 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest