Introduction
Research Questions
- Where do parents search for and find information about child care and early education (CCEE) options (e.g., family/friends, official government websites, service providers)?
- What types of information are parents searching for about CCEE for their children?
- What CCEE decisions did parents make and why?
Parents across the U.S. search for information about child care and early education (CCEE), consider that information, and select a CCEE option. Despite much research on parents’ CCEE selections, little is known about how parents seek, use, and consider information when deciding which CCEE arrangement would best meet their families’ needs.
This brief uses nationally representative survey data of parents and guardians of children under age 6 years but not yet in kindergarten collected in 2024. It describes the sources of information parents used to learn about CCEE, how they considered the information they had, and the CCEE they selected in their most recent child care decision.
Purpose
This brief summarizes the approach and findings from a nationally representative survey of parents and guardians of children under 6 not yet in kindergarten about how they search for and use information about CCEE. The report identifies key findings and implications for organizations who provide CCEE information to parents.
Key Findings and Highlights
Families found information about practical considerations (hours and days of care, how close a provider is to work or home, age groups the provider enrolls, and whether a provider is taking new children) most helpful when they could find it. However, families also identified this type of information as what would have been helpful but they did not find.
Some parents reported getting information about CCEE even when they were not actively making a CCEE decision.
Parents most often reported trusting information from people they know, such as service providers or friends and family.
CCEE cost and quality were among the top five main reasons that families cited for making their decisions.
Methods
Data in this brief come from a survey administered using the NORC AmeriSpeak Panel from March — May 2024. Results represent U.S. households with at least one child under the age of six years, but not yet in kindergarten. The survey asked parents to report on:
their experiences with finding and/or receiving information about child care
the different types of information about child care they may have looked for and/or found in the last 12 months
the information they did not find, but would find most helpful about child care options in their area
their most recent child care decision and the types of child care the household is currently using
Citation
Gordon, Molly, Thao Tran, Solvejg Wastvedt, and Roberta Weber. 2025. How Parents Use Information to Search, Consider and Select Child Care and Early Education: Highlights from National Survey Data. OPRE Report #2025-099, Washington DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.