Extreme Child Care Access Deserts: Provider Shortages and Uptake Estimates by Zip Code

Zip Code Tabulated Areas (ZCTAs) are categorized as Extreme Child Care Access Deserts based on a shortage of licensed providers relative to the child population. The dataset, from Washington State's Department of Children, Youth, and Families, includes monthly uptake estimates of Early Care and Education services. It is slated to be retired after June 18th, 2026, with historic information available upon request.

Use Cases

• Identify persistent child care deserts using the `Zip Code`, `metric`, and `month-year` columns.
• Analyze uptake rates by `eligibility_category` and `age_group` across different ZCTAs.
• Track monthly trends in provider availability and service uptake using the `value` and `month-year` columns.
• Compare geographic disparities in early learning access by cross-referencing `Zip Code` with `metric` values.

Strengths

• Data is structured for temporal analysis with a dedicated `month-year` column.
• Includes multiple analytical dimensions such as `age_group` and `eligibility_category`.
• Based on a published methodology from Hardy et al. 2018.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is scheduled for retirement, indicating it will not be updated after June 2026.

Provenance

Source

Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Office of Innovation, Alignment, and Accountability (OIAA).

Collection Method

Calculated using the definition and methodology for Extreme Child Care Access Deserts developed in Massachusetts.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-19 22:51:09; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Washington State, by Zip Code Tabulated Area (ZCTA).