Introduction to the Special Issue: Understanding and Incorporating Home-Based Child Care Into Early Education and Development Systems

Millions of families across the United States rely on home-based child care—noncustodial care in home-based settings—while they work or attend school. Indeed, home-based child care is the most prevalent form of noncustodial child care in the United States, especially for infants and toddlers and children living in poverty. The National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) estimated that about 7.1 million children from birth to age 5 receive care in home-based child care settings from more than 3.7 million caregivers (NSECE Project Team, 2016 National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team. (2016). Characteristics of home-based early care and education providers: Initial findings from the National Survey of Early Care and Education. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation. [Google Scholar]). In contrast, an estimated 3.8 million children receive care in centers. About half of home-based child care providers are located in moderate- or high-poverty density areas, and less than one third are paid for providing care.