Poll Finds Infant And Toddler Child Care Challenges Persist During Pandemic
4.16.2021
News
A new statewide survey conducted by Farleigh Dickinson University Poll and funded by The Nicholson Foundation shows that working parents of children ages 0-3 in New Jersey continue to face challenges finding and paying for child care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with relatives currently providing the bulk of child care support.
Conducted in February 2021, the survey found that child care use among families with infants and toddlers is 80% what it was pre-pandemic. The study finds 45% of parents indicate care is provided by relatives; 30% have their child in a child care center/day care or preschool; and 10% say a non-relative is providing the care.
The study is the third in a series of polls funded by The Nicholson Foundation and part of the Reimagine Child Care campaign to provide snapshots of how the pandemic is affecting families of infants and toddlers and child care providers in New Jersey.
This latest survey also reveals that for parents who had a child in a child care environment pre-pandemic, some 41% indicate it has been somewhat or much more difficult to presently find quality child care that fits within their budget. More than half of parents (53%) cite fear of Covid-19 as the primary reason it is more difficult to find quality care, with increased costs (18%) a distant second reason cited for the difficulty.