Table 202.30a.

Percentage distribution of children who were under 6 years old and not yet in kindergarten, by main reason household wanted a child care program, primary reason for difficulty finding child care, and selected child and family characteristics: 2019

[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Selected child or family characteristic	For children who had nonparental care in the past year, main reason household wanted a care program															For children whose parent/guardian reported any difficulty finding care, primary reason for the difficulty1
	To provide care when a parent was at work or school			To prepare child for school			To provide cultural or language learning			To make time for running errands or relaxing			Some other reason			Cost			Location			Quality			Lack of open slots for new children			Needed a program for children with special needs			Looking for specific hours/ schedule2			Some other or more than one primary reason
1	2			3			4			5			6			7			8			9			10			11			12			13
Total children under 6     years old	62.4		(1.01)	23.6		(0.91)	2.8		(0.34)	4.0		(0.54)	7.2		(0.53)	37.2		(1.28)	7.3		(0.62)	17.9		(0.84)	26.7		(1.07)	2.2		(0.61)	2.8		(0.58)	6.0		(0.65)
Age
Under 1 year old	72.8		(2.64)	5.1	!	(1.70)	1.4	!	(0.60)	7.8		(2.31)	12.9		(2.22)	37.2		(2.96)	5.9		(1.25)	15.8		(1.99)	29.9		(2.63)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	4.8		(1.34)
1 to 2 years old	72.8		(1.67)	11.9		(1.59)	3.3		(0.67)	4.5		(0.62)	7.6		(0.78)	37.9		(1.91)	6.5		(0.95)	17.6		(1.20)	25.7		(1.71)	‡		(†)	2.7		(0.54)	7.3		(1.13)
3 to 5 years old	49.3		(1.44)	40.9		(1.37)	2.9		(0.47)	2.1		(0.46)	4.8		(0.58)	36.5		(2.00)	8.5		(1.10)	19.1		(1.37)	26.4		(1.75)	2.2		(0.47)	2.1		(0.45)	5.3		(0.78)
Race/ethnicity
White	65.4		(1.15)	22.8		(1.05)	1.9		(0.50)	4.2		(0.54)	5.7		(0.58)	32.6		(1.48)	7.1		(0.86)	20.2		(1.24)	30.0		(1.19)	1.5	!	(0.54)	3.0		(0.59)	5.6		(0.89)
Black	60.5		(3.36)	22.4		(2.44)	1.7	!	(0.77)	‡		(†)	10.7		(2.51)	44.5		(4.31)	7.9		(1.97)	15.4		(2.87)	21.4		(3.27)	3.0	!	(1.07)	1.7	!	(0.77)	6.1		(1.81)
Hispanic	59.5		(2.34)	26.4		(2.09)	3.2		(0.73)	3.0		(0.51)	7.9		(0.97)	44.0		(2.77)	6.8		(1.30)	12.8		(1.68)	23.1		(2.37)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	6.8		(1.30)
Asian/Pacific Islander	52.6		(2.94)	24.1		(2.75)	9.4		(2.43)	2.7	!	(1.12)	11.2		(2.52)	35.7		(4.42)	10.8		(2.73)	25.2		(3.63)	23.1		(4.05)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	2.4	!	(1.13)
Asian	52.3		(2.96)	24.2		(2.78)	9.5		(2.47)	2.7	!	(1.13)	11.2		(2.55)	36.1		(4.33)	10.9		(2.74)	25.5		(3.68)	22.2		(3.85)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	2.4	!	(1.16)
Pacific Islander	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
American Indian/Alaska Native	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
Two or more races	65.5		(2.70)	19.7		(2.67)	4.6		(1.34)	5.4		(1.36)	4.8		(1.26)	30.1		(3.71)	5.5	!	(1.81)	20.0		(3.03)	30.3		(3.97)	‡		(†)	4.1	!	(1.48)	9.2		(2.04)
Number of parents in the     household3
Two parents	62.3		(1.03)	24.1		(0.91)	2.9		(0.40)	4.6		(0.67)	6.1		(0.59)	36.6		(1.42)	6.7		(0.64)	19.2		(0.91)	28.1		(1.22)	1.4	!	(0.45)	2.3		(0.38)	5.8		(0.71)
One parent	64.7		(2.25)	21.1		(2.15)	2.2		(0.61)	2.0	!	(0.64)	10.0		(1.28)	38.2		(3.09)	10.0		(1.80)	13.4		(2.23)	21.4		(2.59)	5.1	!	(2.54)	‡		(†)	7.0		(1.57)
Mother in household
Yes	63.4		(1.03)	23.1		(0.91)	2.9		(0.35)	3.9		(0.55)	6.7		(0.54)	37.1		(1.22)	7.3		(0.64)	18.3		(0.85)	26.7		(1.07)	2.1	!	(0.64)	2.4		(0.33)	6.2		(0.69)
No	47.8		(3.43)	29.8		(3.49)	‡		(†)	5.6	!	(2.23)	15.2		(2.82)	38.3		(6.58)	7.1	!	(2.54)	12.4		(3.17)	26.0		(6.20)	3.3	!	(1.64)	‡		(†)	3.7	!	(1.75)
Mother's employment status4
Currently employed	77.1		(0.80)	16.0		(0.73)	1.2		(0.20)	1.1		(0.18)	4.6		(0.52)	36.5		(1.33)	6.7		(0.67)	19.3		(1.08)	28.4		(1.17)	1.0		(0.26)	2.8		(0.43)	5.3		(0.56)
35 or more hours per week	80.5		(0.89)	13.4		(0.68)	1.3		(0.26)	0.6		(0.12)	4.2		(0.52)	35.1		(1.49)	6.4		(0.69)	20.5		(1.25)	29.2		(1.34)	1.0	!	(0.29)	2.8		(0.45)	5.1		(0.64)
Less than 35 hours per week	67.9		(2.52)	23.0		(2.23)	0.9	!	(0.30)	2.5		(0.58)	5.8		(1.56)	40.7		(3.25)	7.5		(1.77)	15.4		(1.86)	26.2		(2.57)	1.2	!	(0.55)	2.9		(0.80)	6.1		(1.18)
Looking for work	48.7		(10.65)	36.5	!	(11.83)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	9.1	!	(3.57)	47.2		(12.09)	‡		(†)	8.8	!	(4.04)	14.8	!	(6.20)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
Not in labor force	22.4		(2.06)	43.6		(2.17)	7.6		(1.24)	12.2		(1.90)	14.1		(1.65)	39.1		(2.43)	9.2		(1.65)	15.6		(1.57)	22.3		(2.86)	4.0	!	(1.49)	1.2	!	(0.56)	8.7		(2.17)
Mother's highest education4
Less than high school	39.4		(5.23)	32.9		(5.02)	3.1	!	(1.31)	‡		(†)	19.1		(3.57)	31.2		(6.51)	9.7	!	(3.95)	9.1	!	(4.20)	25.0	!	(8.59)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)
High school/GED	55.6		(2.91)	25.5		(2.41)	3.7	!	(1.44)	2.9		(0.77)	12.4		(1.81)	43.5		(4.62)	8.9		(1.95)	11.0		(2.36)	25.4		(3.99)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	5.4		(1.52)
Vocational/technical or     some college	61.8		(2.13)	25.0		(1.77)	2.3		(0.58)	4.4		(0.71)	6.5		(1.09)	49.4		(2.78)	8.8		(1.84)	13.7		(1.82)	18.4		(2.22)	1.4	!	(0.58)	1.5	!	(0.73)	6.9		(1.32)
Associate's degree	69.4		(2.33)	17.8		(2.21)	2.4	!	(0.74)	4.4		(1.32)	5.9		(1.27)	38.1		(3.92)	8.6		(1.93)	20.9		(3.31)	23.7		(2.95)	‡		(†)	3.2	!	(1.18)	3.9	!	(1.36)
Bachelor's degree	66.5		(1.35)	22.1		(0.96)	3.4		(0.61)	4.3		(0.74)	3.7		(0.56)	35.7		(1.89)	6.2		(1.03)	20.8		(1.37)	28.4		(1.73)	1.9	!	(0.81)	2.2		(0.63)	4.8		(1.01)
Graduate/professional degree	74.1		(1.33)	19.6		(1.24)	1.9		(0.37)	2.3		(0.49)	2.0		(0.45)	27.4		(1.75)	5.3		(0.84)	23.6		(1.95)	32.9		(2.25)	‡		(†)	4.0		(0.81)	5.9		(0.90)
Language spoken most at home     by mother4
English	66.0		(1.12)	22.3		(0.99)	1.4		(0.24)	4.0		(0.60)	6.3		(0.53)	36.9		(1.21)	7.2		(0.71)	18.6		(0.92)	26.6		(1.13)	2.5	!	(0.75)	2.7		(0.40)	5.5		(0.60)
Non-English	43.4		(3.58)	32.6		(3.13)	13.0		(2.47)	2.1	!	(0.75)	8.9		(1.75)	38.7		(5.56)	8.1		(1.98)	13.2		(2.16)	30.7		(4.75)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	8.2	!	(2.59)
English and another     language equally	56.0		(3.30)	22.3		(2.38)	4.6	!	(1.56)	4.8		(1.43)	12.3		(2.79)	41.3		(5.08)	7.0	!	(2.34)	18.9		(3.03)	21.2		(4.14)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	10.4	!	(4.09)
Mother's age when child born5
21 or younger	62.4		(4.17)	20.6		(4.01)	1.7	!	(0.82)	3.8	!	(1.49)	11.5		(3.03)	41.3		(6.95)	7.4	!	(3.26)	10.3	!	(3.99)	30.8		(6.03)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	6.5	!	(2.75)
22 to 34	63.5		(1.25)	23.0		(1.03)	3.2		(0.47)	3.8		(0.65)	6.5		(0.69)	38.0		(1.59)	7.4		(0.75)	17.6		(1.12)	25.5		(1.22)	2.7	!	(0.91)	2.3		(0.37)	6.6		(0.97)
35 or older	63.3		(1.95)	23.8		(1.37)	2.2		(0.44)	4.2		(0.94)	6.5		(1.19)	34.3		(2.44)	6.5		(1.22)	22.2		(1.99)	28.6		(2.28)	‡		(†)	2.6		(0.70)	5.0		(1.04)
Household income
$20,000 or less	51.0		(3.52)	28.4		(3.09)	3.4	!	(1.13)	3.6	!	(1.14)	13.7		(2.51)	39.3		(5.64)	8.8		(2.36)	5.6		(1.23)	25.3		(4.43)	11.1	!	(5.45)	‡		(†)	9.2	!	(2.88)
$20,001 to $50,000	56.4		(2.54)	25.6		(2.28)	2.6		(0.62)	3.8		(0.88)	11.6		(1.72)	49.6		(2.84)	7.1		(1.58)	13.2		(1.55)	22.5		(2.85)	1.3	!	(0.56)	1.3	!	(0.51)	4.9		(1.12)
$50,001 to $75,000	60.4		(2.83)	19.9		(1.86)	5.2	!	(1.64)	5.6	!	(2.70)	8.8		(1.54)	43.8		(3.17)	7.8		(1.51)	13.5		(1.74)	21.8		(2.38)	‡		(†)	2.2	!	(0.70)	8.2		(2.05)
$75,001 to $100,000	65.0		(2.12)	22.8		(1.98)	2.3		(0.66)	4.6		(1.17)	5.2		(0.98)	38.0		(2.54)	5.9		(1.29)	21.4		(2.26)	24.0		(2.30)	‡		(†)	3.5	!	(1.18)	6.5		(1.55)
Over $100,000	68.9		(1.20)	22.9		(1.14)	1.9		(0.33)	3.3		(0.45)	3.0		(0.45)	27.0		(1.74)	7.3		(0.88)	24.0		(1.67)	32.2		(1.69)	0.8	!	(0.31)	4.0	!	(1.43)	4.8		(0.79)
Poverty status of household6
Poor7	49.7		(2.73)	28.4		(2.50)	3.1		(0.77)	3.9		(1.04)	14.9		(2.06)	39.7		(4.67)	8.7		(2.01)	8.2		(1.57)	27.8		(3.74)	7.1	!	(3.49)	‡		(†)	8.2		(2.14)
Near-poor8	55.8		(2.98)	25.3		(2.69)	4.1	!	(1.39)	5.8	!	(2.45)	9.1		(1.41)	51.7		(3.29)	7.8		(2.07)	11.4		(1.79)	16.9		(2.62)	‡		(†)	1.9	!	(0.74)	7.3		(1.96)
Nonpoor9	67.6		(0.90)	21.8		(0.84)	2.3		(0.32)	3.5		(0.34)	4.7		(0.49)	33.2		(1.39)	6.8		(0.71)	21.6		(1.20)	28.7		(1.22)	0.9		(0.23)	3.5		(0.85)	5.2		(0.64)
Household size
2 or 3 persons	72.4		(1.79)	16.4		(1.78)	2.1		(0.40)	3.4		(0.56)	5.7		(0.72)	34.5		(1.54)	6.9		(0.98)	20.1		(1.45)	27.3		(1.43)	3.3	!	(1.49)	2.8		(0.60)	5.1		(1.13)
4 persons	64.6		(1.43)	23.5		(1.17)	2.5		(0.44)	2.8		(0.56)	6.6		(0.87)	36.7		(2.16)	7.0		(1.12)	19.3		(1.39)	27.4		(1.85)	1.7	!	(0.76)	2.2		(0.53)	5.7		(0.89)
5 persons	56.6		(2.27)	27.7		(2.11)	3.7		(0.90)	4.0		(0.85)	8.0		(1.27)	38.7		(2.81)	9.6		(2.00)	15.5		(2.15)	24.4		(2.62)	‡		(†)	‡		(†)	5.8		(1.23)
6 or more persons	50.3		(2.91)	29.3		(2.81)	3.4	!	(1.36)	7.1	!	(2.46)	10.0		(1.84)	43.2		(5.03)	5.7		(1.61)	11.7		(2.22)	26.2		(4.27)	‡		(†)	1.4	!	(0.65)	9.7	!	(3.55)
Locale
City	60.7		(1.82)	23.0		(1.69)	2.8		(0.47)	4.5		(1.18)	9.0		(1.12)	39.3		(1.95)	5.5		(0.86)	16.6		(1.34)	26.8		(1.71)	3.0	!	(1.44)	1.9		(0.45)	7.0		(1.36)
Suburban	63.0		(1.28)	24.5		(1.38)	3.4		(0.70)	3.4		(0.55)	5.7		(0.74)	41.4		(2.06)	6.3		(1.01)	19.4		(1.43)	22.3		(1.52)	2.0	!	(0.69)	3.5	!	(1.24)	5.1		(0.88)
Town	66.2		(3.14)	20.2		(2.22)	1.4	!	(0.66)	3.8	!	(1.36)	8.4		(1.80)	25.7		(4.25)	10.2		(2.78)	13.9		(2.81)	40.9		(5.31)	‡		(†)	3.1	!	(1.31)	5.7	!	(2.09)
Rural	62.8		(2.06)	24.0		(1.97)	1.9		(0.47)	4.4		(0.89)	7.0		(1.23)	25.9		(2.56)	13.1		(1.80)	19.0		(2.26)	31.3		(2.62)	1.5	!	(0.66)	2.8	!	(0.98)	6.3		(1.27)

†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 Excludes children whose parent/guardian reported either "have not tried to find care" or "no difficulty" finding the type of child care or early childhood program wanted.

2 Reason was not listed on the survey but was provided by respondent when specifying reason other than those listed on the survey.

3 Excludes children living apart from their parents.

4 Excludes children living in households with no mother or female guardian present.

5 Includes children living in households with a biological mother present.

6 The Census Bureau's poverty threshold is a dollar amount that varies depending on a family's size and composition and is updated annually to account for inflation. In 2019, for example, the poverty threshold for a family of four with two children was $25,926. Survey respondents are asked to select the range within which their income falls, rather than giving the exact amount of their income; therefore, the measure of poverty status is an approximation.

7 Poor children are those whose family incomes were below the poverty threshold in the year prior to data collection.

8 Near-poor children are those whose family incomes ranged from the poverty threshold to 199 percent of the poverty threshold.

9 Nonpoor children are those whose family incomes were at or above 200 percent of the poverty threshold.

NOTE: For the 2019 administration of the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES), the majority of data were collected using a web-based survey instrument that respondents accessed with credentials they received in a mailed invitation. Paper surveys were used for nonresponse follow-up and for a small experiment. Responding parents reported on their own activities and the activities of their spouse/other adults in the household. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding and suppression of estimates that did not meet reporting standards.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood Program Participation Survey of the National Household Education Surveys Program (ECPP-NHES:2019). (This table was prepared January 2022.)