WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A study by from the Equity Research Action Coalition at the University of North Carolina’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and the Gallup Center on Black Voices finds 25% of Black parents agreeing that transportation is a “big problem” for their childcare arrangement. Most (62%) disagree or strongly disagree, while 13% neither agree nor disagree.
Transportation is particularly problematic for single Black parents, of whom nearly half (45%) agree that this is a major childcare issue. In contrast, 18% of parents who are parenting alongside the child’s other biological parent agree that this is a big problem for their childcare arrangement.
Among income groups, about one in four parents in middle-income households (24%) and nearly one in three parents in lower-income households (31%) agree that transportation is a big problem, compared with relatively few Black parents living in higher-income households (9%).
This study is part of a larger research program intended to foster understanding of the lived experience of Black families with young children as a critical data resource for researchers and practitioners working to promote positive development for Black youth in the U.S. Respondents included 587 Black adults; only those who reported being a parent or guardian to at least one child younger than 7 were considered eligible to participate. The study did not collect data on parents of non-Black children.
Cost as a Barrier to the Ideal Care for Half of Black Parents
Meanwhile, half of Black parents agree that the cost of childcare in their area prevents them from getting the kind of care they want.
Similar to transportation, reports that cost is a barrier to childcare access differ most by parenting arrangement. Single Black parents (64%) are much more likely than those who are parenting alongside the child’s other biological parent (42%) to agree that cost is preventing them from accessing the ideal care.
Black parents across income groups do not differ meaningfully in agreement that the cost of childcare in their area prevents them from accessing the care they want.
However, cost of childcare is a greater obstacle to Black parents who are not employed full time (59%) compared with those who are employed full time (45%).
It’s possible that, despite having very different financial situations, lower-income Black parents are reporting cost as a barrier at rates similar to those of other income groups because they employ low-cost or cost-free options such as free pre-K or family members assisting with childcare. The survey did not identify the type of childcare provider parents are using.
Bottom Line
Black parents navigate challenges in how their children are treated at childcare facilities, but simply getting children to school or to a childcare facility is a struggle of its own for one in four parents -- and is a particularly difficult issue for single parents and those living in low-income households.
The lack of reliable transportation among low-income households in the U.S. is well-documented. In many U.S. cities, rising housing prices have driven low-income Americans from public transit-rich areas. A recent report Gallup conducted with the Greater Washington Community Foundation details the connections between parenting, public transportation and maintaining employment among residents in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia region.
In addition, cost is a barrier to getting the kind of childcare they seek for half of parents of Black children. And while parents across income groups report this as a barrier, single parents and those without full-time employment are the groups most likely to agree it prevents them from accessing the ideal care for their children.
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