Scant Increases after Welfare Reform: Regulated Child Care Supply in Illinois and Maryland, 1996-1998. A Report of the NCCP Child Care Research Partnership.

This study examined changes in regulated child care supply in Illinois and Maryland between 1996 and 1998, focusing on communities with the highest concentrations of low-income families. Data were obtained from statewide child care resource and referral databases for June 1996, June 1997, and June 1998, and from 1990 U.S. census data obtained by zip code. Among the major findings are the following: Illinois and Maryland saw 6 percent growth in regulated child care slots per 1,000 children under 13 years from 1996 to 1998. All of Maryland's growth in capacity and most of Illinois' came in center care. The number of family child care providers declined slightly, although the number of slots grew modestly in Illinois and decreased in Maryland. Communities with the highest concentrations of low-income residents had significantly fewer regulated slots per 1,000 children than communities with the lowest concentrations of low-income individuals. Areas with higher concentrations of low-income individuals saw very little growth in child care supply. In both states, center care increased in all income areas, but generally grew more in more affluent areas. Maryland had high growth in the number of Head Start and prekindergarten programs. Both states had greater growth in prekindergarten than in Head Start. The percentages of centers and homes that offered care for extended hours scarcely increased in Maryland and did not increase in Illinois. Over 2 years, the number of child care homes closing exceeded the number of homes opening in both states. (Data tables for 1998 are appended.) (KB)