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Characteristics of Classrooms in Center-based Child Care and Early Education Settings (2019 NSECE)

This chartbook uses data from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education Center-based Survey and 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education Workforce to describe classrooms with young children.

Characteristics of Classrooms in Center-based Child Care and Early Education Settings

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Research Questions

  1. How does the child to adult ratio vary by classroom age group?

  2. How does the highest educational degree of staff in the classroom vary by age group?

  3. How does funding vary at the provider and classroom level?

  4. What is the prevalence of classrooms with at least one Hispanic/Latino child and at least one Hispanic/Latino teacher, assistant or aide?

Introduction

The quality of child care and early education (CCEE) is a key consideration for many families. This chartbook describes characteristics of classrooms such as: indicators of quality, combinations of public funding within the classroom, and the presence of Hispanic/Latino staff and enrolled children in a classroom.

Purpose

The purpose of this chartbook is to describe the nation’s center-based CCEE classrooms serving children five and under not yet in kindergarten, in 2019.

Key Findings and Highlights

Key findings include:

  • The average classroom for children under age 3 had a mean enrollment of between 9 and 10 children while classrooms for children ages 3 through 5 had a mean enrollment between 16 and 17 children[1].
  • The mean ratio of children to adults in classrooms for children under age 3 was between 3 to 4 children and just above 6 children for children ages 3 through 5 in 20191.
  • In classrooms for children ages 3 through 5, 60.7% of classrooms have staff with a 4-year college degree and 18.7% of classrooms have no staff with a 2-year or 4-year college degree.
  • In classrooms for children under age 3, 25.4% of classrooms have staff with a 4-year college degree and 45.1% of classrooms have no staff with a 2-year or 4-year college degree.
  • In 2019, in centers that received either Head Start or public pre-K funds (but not both and not funds from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) child care subsidy program), 79.4% of classrooms had no children whose enrollment was supported by Head Start or public pre-K.
  • 25.4% of classrooms had at least one Hispanic/Latino child and at least one Hispanic/Latino teacher, assistant, or aide in the classroom. 

[1] For context, consider group size and child:staff ratio recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, & National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education. (2019). Caring for our children: National health and safety performance standards: Guidelines for early care and education programs (4th ed.) cited by https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/ratios-and-group-sizes.  Group sizes: children under 12 months (6 children), children 12 to 35 months (8 children), three year olds (14 children), four and five year olds (16 children).  Child: adult ratios: children younger than 12 months (3:1),  children 12-35 months (4:1), 3-year-olds (7:1), and 4 and 5 year-olds (8:1).

 

Methods

This chartbook uses data from the 2019 NSECE Center-based Provider Survey and 2019 NSECE Workforce Survey to describe CCEE classrooms with at least one child age 5 and under, not yet in kindergarten (0 to 71 months).

Citation

A R Datta, B David (2023). Characteristics of Classrooms in Center-based Child Care and Early Education Settings. OPRE Report No. 2023-100, Washington DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/project/national-survey-early-care-and-education-2019-2017-2022