Child Care Aware’s 2024 Price of Care Report Highlights Persistent Access and Affordability Challenges
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Child Care Aware of America (CCAoA) recently released its 2024 report on the price and supply landscape of child care in the United States, offering updated data and analysis that further illuminate the ongoing challenges families face when trying to access affordable, high-quality child care.
The report, titled “The Child Care Landscape in 2024: Prices Are Rising, Supply Is Shrinking, and Families Are Paying the Price,” underscores the continued strain on families and providers alike—and calls attention to the urgent need for systemic solutions to stabilize and support the child care sector.
Key National Findings
The 2024 report paints a stark picture of the child care landscape across the country:
Rising Costs: In 2023, the national average annual cost of child care rose to $11,582 per child—nearly $1,000 more than in 2022. In some states, families pay over $20,000 per year for infant care in a center-based setting.
Affordability Gap: Child care costs continue to outpace median household income, with care for two children costing more than the average rent or mortgage in nearly every state.
Shrinking Supply: The number of licensed child care providers has declined 7% nationally since 2020, leaving many families with fewer or no local options.
Disproportionate Impact: Low-income families, families of color, and those living in rural areas—including Tribal communities—are among those hardest hit by the cost and availability challenges.
Implications for Tribal Communities
While the report does not provide disaggregated data specific to Tribal programs, its findings are highly relevant to Indian Country:
Many Tribal child care programs operate in rural and remote areas, where supply shortages are more acute.
Families in Tribal communities often face compounded barriers, including lack of transportation, limited facility infrastructure, and workforce shortages.
The rising cost of care puts increased pressure on already underfunded Tribal CCDF grantees, whose budgets may not stretch to meet local need or support competitive provider compensation.
For Tribal Nations working to strengthen culturally grounded early childhood systems, this report reinforces the urgency of stable, equitable investments in child care infrastructure.
Recommendations from the Report
Child Care Aware calls for a robust, coordinated response to address the nation’s child care crisis. Recommendations include:
Increased public investment to make care more affordable and expand supply
Long-term federal funding to stabilize provider operations and workforce development
Stronger data collection and equity-focused policy decisions, especially for underserved communities
Greater attention to rural, Tribal, and frontier communities, where challenges are often most pronounced
NICCA’s Commitment
The National Indian Child Care Association (NICCA) continues to advocate for Tribal sovereignty in early childhood policy, adequate funding for Tribal CCDF programs, and respectful inclusion of Native voices in national child care strategies.
We encourage Tribal leaders and early childhood program administrators to review this report and consider how the national trends reflect or diverge from your local realities. This data can be a useful tool in advocacy, funding applications, and strategic planning.
