Indicator Definitions and Data Sources
A unique aspect of these maps is the methodology for measuring ECE access—seat density, cost burden, and quality. These three ECE access indexes are family-centered, i.e., they show different aspects of ECE services within a set commuting time or distance from a typical family home. These measures also take supply and demand into account, as calculations include both the number of ECE seats and the number of young children living nearby. The purpose is to provide an authentic measure of the supply, cost, and quality of ECE seats that a family will find in reasonable proximity to their home.
Click below to see detailed information on how data indicators included in the website were defined and a list of data sources.
What This Is: The number of nearby ECE seats per child.
Importance: This index shows whether ECE capacity is sufficient to serve the number of children who live nearby. Densely populated areas need more total seats than less populated areas. A seat density index of 1 means there are as many seats as there are children. Index scores below one mean not all children can be served. Some experts in the field define childcare deserts as areas with three or more children potentially competing for each seat, i.e., a seat density index of .33 or less. Index scores may exceed 1 (more seats than children living nearby) when providers locate close to places of employment in order to serve commuting parents. High scores (darker colors on the map) are desirable on this index.
How We Got This: The seat density index (similar to slots per tot) is calculated for each housing lot as the sum of the capacity-to-population ratio for all nearby ECE providers. Capacity is the number of seats a nearby provider is licensed to serve and population is the number of young children living in the provider’s catchment area. This takes into account the fact that each house has a different number of nearby ECE seats as well as a different number of nearby children who might want to enroll in each seat. To estimate the number of seats available for the infant-toddler vs. preschool age groups, we used license type and the proportional enrollment in family child care and preschool centers of children under age 3. The age-specific indexes (0-2 years and 3-4 years) are based on a single point in time and do not reflect possible fluctuation in these proportions. Tract-level scores are the average index score (weighted by the number of children estimated to live at each lot) for all housing lots located within that census tract. For details, please see the technical report (opens in a new tab).
What This Is: Average cost of a nearby ECE seat as a percentage of the area's median family income.
Importance: This index shows the cost burden of ECE services. Tuition is a major expense, especially for low- and moderate-income families. Equitable access implies that no family will be priced out of the ECE market. For low-income households, the federal government defines affordable child care as costing as no more than 7% of family income for all children combined. Low scores (lighter colors on the map) are desirable on this index, meaning that ECE costs take a smaller share of family income.
How We Got This: The cost burden index is calculated for each housing lot as the availability-weighted average tuition for nearby seats divided by the median family household income for the census tract where the house is located. This takes into account the number of nearby seats, the cost for different age groups, the number of children living nearby, and income differences across communities. Tract-level scores are the average index score (weighted by the number of children estimated to live at each lot) for all housing lots located within that census tract. For center-based providers, tuition for each age group comes from the providers’ websites. Age-based fees for family child care homes and centers without published rates are set at the island averages published by PATCH. Tuition for free programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, and public pre-K) are included in the calculations at $0. The index does not account for tuition subsidies or scholarships that families may receive. For details, please see the technical report (opens in a new tab).
What This Is: The percentage of nearby ECE seats in public pre-K, Head Start, Early Head Start, and private programs holding one of three national early childhood accreditations recognized by the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services. Because these programs meet standards beyond those required for state licensing, this increases the likelihood that they offer high-quality services. (This definition does not guarantee every classroom counted as high-quality offers an exceptional experience; furthermore, programs not designated as high quality may also offer an excellent experience.).
Importance: High-quality ECE is associated with better child outcomes and is especially important for children facing challenges such as poverty, homelessness, or developmental delays. High scores are desirable on this index, indicating a greater likelihood that nearby seats are of high quality.
How We Got This: The Child Care Office of the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services recognizes three national ECCE accreditations as indicators of high quality–National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation, and the National Association for Family Child Care–and offers a higher tuition subsidy rate for providers holding one of these accreditations. Head Start and Early Head Start grantees follow the federal Head Start Program Performance Standards and receive periodic monitoring visits; this process is intended to support grantees in offering a high-quality, comprehensive early learning program that addresses holistic child development, family engagement, and family support. The National Institute for Early Education Research publishes annual ratings of state public pre-K programs on which Hawaiʻi consistently receives a perfect or nearly-perfect score.
The quality index is calculated for each housing lot as the availability-weighted average dichotomous quality score of nearby ECE programs. This takes into account the number of nearby seats, the number of these seats considered to be high quality, and the number of nearby children. Tract-level scores are the average quality index score (weighted by the number of children estimated to live at each lot) for all housing lots located within that census tract. For details, please see the technical report (opens in a new tab).
Children age 0–4: The number of children birth through age 4 (i.e., under 5 years).
Children age 0–2: The number of children birth through age 2 (i.e., under 5 years).
Children age 3-4: The number of children age 3 or 4 years.
Limited English speaking households: Percentage of households where a non-English language is spoken at home and no person age 14 or older speaks English "very well."
Low-income children: Percentage of children under age 6 in households with incomes below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Median family income: Median income of family households.
Working parents: Percentage of children under age 6 with all co-residential parents in the workforce.
Child Opportunity Index: Weighted average of the Child Opportunity Index 3.0-2023 (COI) component subdomain z-scores, state-normed. The COI is based on 44 different indicators of neighborhood resources that support child well-being. Indicators are drawn from three broad domains: education (e.g., student test scores, college degree holders), health/environment (e.g., air quality, health insurance coverage), and social/economic (e.g., income, wealth, crowded housing). Z-scores are based on Hawaiʻi data. Z-scores close to zero indicate that the census tract is close to the state average. Scores higher than zero are above the state average, while negative scores are below the state average. About two-thirds of census tracts fall in the range of -1.0 to + 1.0. High scores on this index are desirable.
Family child care: Registered family child care homes and licensed group child care homes. The providers serve a small number of children in a homelike setting. To protect the providers’ privacy, these businesses are not named and their locations are masked by pinning their sites at the residential center of their respective zip codes.
Early Head Start: Licensed infant-toddler centers administered by an Early Head Start Grantee, serving children age 0-2. Families must meet federal eligibility criteria and the program is offered at no cost to families. Home-based Early Head Start programs are not licensed and are included.
Head Start: Licensed group child care centers administered by a Head Start Grantee, serving children age 3-Kindergarten entry. Families must meet federal eligibility criteria.
Private Infant-Toddler Center: Licensed infant-toddler center serving children age 0-2. Providers may choose to limit the ages admitted to a narrower range than what licensing allows.
Private Preschool: Licensed group child care center serving children age 2-Kindergarten entry. Providers may choose to limit the ages admitted to a narrower range than what licensing allows.
Public Pre-K: Pre-Kindergarten classrooms operated by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education or the State Public Charter School Commission. Public pre-K is licensed exempt, follows the K-12 school calendar, and is offered at no cost to families.
Future Public Pre-K Sites:Locations under consideration to open in the 2026-2027 school year. As of December 2025, these are yet to be finalized.
Executive Office on Early Learning. (2025). Public pre-K classroom locations and capacities. [Unpublished data].
Hawai‘i State Public Charter School Commission. (2025). Charter school preschool classroom locations and capacities. [Unpublished data].
State of Hawai‘i Department of Human Services Child Care Office and PATCH. (2025). Licensed and registered child care providers location, capacity, accreditation status, license type, ages served and enrollment by age group. [Unpublished data].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table B01001 (opens in a new tab): Sex by Age. [Dataset].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table B09001 (opens in a new tab): Population Under 18 Years by Age. [Dataset].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table B17024 (opens in a new tab): Age by ratio of income to poverty level in the past 12 months. [Dataset].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table B19125 (opens in a new tab): Median family income in the past 12 months (in 2023 inflation-adjusted dollars) by presence of own children under 18 years. [Dataset].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table B23008 (opens in a new tab): Age of own children under 18 years in families and subfamilies by living arrangements by employment status of parents. [Dataset].
U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, Table C16002 (opens in a new tab): Household language by household limited English speaking status. [Dataset].
diversitydatakids.org. (2025). Child Opportunity Index 3.0-2023 Data for 2020 Census Tracts. [Dataset]. Retrieved from https://www.diversitydatakids.org/research-library/child-opportunity-index-30-2023-census-tract-data (opens in a new tab).
Noelke, C., McArdle, N., DeVoe, B., Leonardos, M., Lu, Y., Ressler, R.W., & Acevedo-Garcia, D. (2025). Child Opportunity Index 3.0 Technical Documentation (July 24, 2025). diversitydatakids.org, Boston University. Retrieved from https://www.diversitydatakids.org/research-library/coi-30-technical-documentation (opens in a new tab).