Decisions & Distance: Assessing the Relationship Between Child Care Access and Travel

Date: April 22, 2024

Author(s): Evelyn Blumenberg, Madeline Wander, Zhiyuan Yao

Abstract

Child care is essential infrastructure, but supply in the U.S. has long fallen short of demand. In California, this discrepancy varies dramatically across neighborhoods that differ by income, race/ethnicity, and location. This study seeks to address the gap in existing research on the topic of child care access, child care use, and travel. By linking household-level travel survey data to a measure of child car access, we examine the relationships between child care access, use, and travel distance to such care for households across California. We then propose a set of recommendations to reduce spatial barriers to child care.

About the Project

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the necessity of childcare as essential infrastructure. Without access to affordable childcare, working outside of the home is difficult or, in many cases, impossible. […]