Skip to main content
Strong, healthy families supported by their communities
University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa logo

Early Childhood Care and Education

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. Indexes below one means 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. 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

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 (darker 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. Tuition for free programs (Head Start, Early Head Start, and public pre-K) is 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

.

What This Is: Percentage of nearby ECE seats in accredited centers, Head Start, Early Head Start, or public pre-K.

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: Programs with a national ECE accreditation (NAEYC, NECCPA, NFCCA), Early Head Start, Head Start, and public pre-K sites (which are highly rated by NIEER) were considered to be high quality. Because these programs meet standards beyond those required for state licensing, they are likely to deliver developmentally appropriate care; however, this does not mean that other programs cannot also be of high quality. 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.

What This Is: Overall ECE access based on a combination of seat density, cost burden, and quality.

Importance: Accessibility means that our ECE system offers an adequate supply of nearby, affordable, and high-quality seats. A combined index represents access more holistically than does any component in isolation. It also provides a succinct way of summarizing progress towards the vision of an equitable ECE system that truly meets the needs of our keiki and their families. High scores on the combined index are desirable.

How We Got This: The overall access index is the average of the standardized scores for the seat density, cost burden (negatively weighted), and quality indexes for each census tract. Color coding on the maps shows whether combined index scores are close to average, above/below average, or well above/below average for the state. These groupings are based on the 20th, 40th, 60th, and 80th percentile ranks. For details, please see the technical document.

This map shows the location of public pre-K sites and licensed child care centers. To protect individual privacy, only aggregated information is shown for family child care homes (FCC) and group child care homes (GCC): Proprietors’ names are not listed and locations are approximated by placing all such providers at the geographic center of their respective census tract. Pop-up windows show the name, location, maximum capacity and accreditation status of public pre-K classrooms and licensed child care centers, as well as the number and combined capacity of home-based providers. Accreditation types include the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) and the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC).

Map Instructions
Select Map Type
  • Seat Density

    The number of children per nearby ECE seats per child.

  • Cost Burden

    Cost of nearby ECE seats as a percentage of family income.

  • Quality

    Percentage of nearby ECE seats in accredited centers, public pre-K, Heady Start, or Early Head Start.

  • Overall Access

    Overall ECE access based on a combination of seat density, cost burden, and quality.

  • Providers

    ECE provider location, type, and licensed capacity.

Geographic Level
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Geographic Level
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Geographic Level
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Geographic Level
Catchment
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Age Group
Geographic Level
Provider Types
Select items...
Filters ▼

Note

Note. White areas on the maps are nonresidential zones, such as industrial parks and watershed land. If a census tract or housing lot has no coloring and no pop-up window, there is no corresponding index score; i.e., if there are no nearby ECE seats, the cost burden and quality indexes cannot be calculated. Public transit times are based on bus routes only and do not include the Skyline rail system.