CORVALLIS, Ore. — Child care, particularly for children of preschool age, is becoming more available to Oregon families in many parts of the state, a new report by Oregon State University researchers has found.
“Thanks to sustained investment from the legislature, Oregon’s child care supply is rebounding after the pandemic. These gains show what’s possible when we prioritize early learning.”
Only nine of Oregon’s 36 counties are now considered preschool child care deserts, and child care supply has increased statewide since 2022, researchers found.
Child care deserts are defined as areas where there are three or more children for every regulated child care slot. Regulated care includes child care centers and home-based providers licensed by the state.
“This report shows that there is a supply recovery in process,” said Megan Pratt, lead author and associate professor of practice in the OSU College of Health and the Extension Family and Community Health Program. “There’s more child care available than there has been in the recent past.”
The report found a significant decrease in child care deserts for preschool-aged children in 2024, compared with earlier years. In 2018, 27 counties were considered preschool child care deserts.
Role of public funding
Public funding plays a critical role in boosting and sustaining child care supply, particularly for preschoolers, ages 3–5.
Without public funding, more than three-quarters of Oregon counties would be considered preschool child care deserts, and all 36 counties would be child care deserts for infants and toddlers, ages birth to 2, the report shows.
“We’re seeing public investments making a difference in the available supply,” Pratt said.
Public funding supports less than a quarter of preschool slots statewide. Without it, 28 of Oregon’s 36 counties would be preschool child care deserts. For infants and toddlers, 34 counties remain child care deserts even with current funding levels. Without public funding, all counties would fall into that category.
Publicly funded programs include federal Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as state-funded initiatives such as Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten. The report does not account for all public investments, including programs operated by school districts or counties that are not licensed by the state.
The analysis also does not include child care subsidy programs, such as Employment-Related Day Care, which help families pay for care but do not typically increase capacity.
Findings from a long-running study
The report, Oregon’s Child Care Deserts 2024, was commissioned by the Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care, which partners with Oregon State University through the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership. The report’s coauthor is Michaella Sektnan of OSU’s College of Health.
The fourth biennial report follows earlier editions published in 2018, 2020 and 2022. It is based on a snapshot of child care supply in Oregon as of December 2024.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to see state investments delivering real results for Oregon families,” said Alyssa Chatterjee, director of the Department of Early Learning and Care. “The fact that more communities are no longer child care deserts for preschoolers means more children are accessing early learning experiences they deserve.”
Public funding is especially important in rural, non-metro communities, where it accounts for a larger share of overall child care supply, Pratt said.
Ongoing challenges for families
Despite progress, parents continue to face challenges finding affordable child care — particularly for infants and toddlers.
“Any public investment or growth in supply for this age group can make a big difference,” Pratt said.
Affordability and quality also affect access. If care is too expensive or offered only during limited hours, it may not meet families’ needs, she noted.
Oregon’s child care supply has been growing since a low point in 2014, but demand still outpaces availability. One notable finding in the 2024 report was growth in small family home child care, which increased by 988 slots compared to 2022 — the first increase since 2016.
“Thanks to sustained investment from the legislature, Oregon’s child care supply is rebounding after the pandemic,” Chatterjee said. “These gains show what’s possible when we prioritize early learning.”
