Where are ECE seats located?
Are there
enough seats?
Are they affordable?
Are they of high quality?
Affordable, conveniently located, and high-quality early childhood care and education (ECE) supports the well-being of children, families, and communities. Working parents need child care, while strong ECE programs give young children a solid foundation for healthy development and lifelong learning.
The equitable deployment of ECE resources requires an accurate understanding of which communities have the greatest unmet needs. This site provides highly localized data to inform the planning and strategic expansion of ECE services. Policymakers, advocates, and ECE providers are among the intended users.
Customizable maps include data on:
ECE seat density, cost burden, and quality
ECE provider locations and capacity
Young child population and community characteristics
Users can see how ECE access varies by age group, commuting distance/time, geographic location, and community characteristics. Users can also choose a wider (census tract) or micro (housing lot) view.
ECE access within a 5-mile drive from home
9.4 children age 0-2 per infant-toddler seat
1.5 children age 3-4 per preschool-age seat
Note: As of August, 2025.
Typical cost is 10.6% of
area median family income
55.5% of seats are in programs
likely to be of high quality.