162
THE COUNTY’S INFRASTRUCTURE BACKBONE
PLANNING ISSUE
Access to day care in the
county’s employment centers
is sometimes limited.
Sewage Facilities
Water Facilities
Solid Waste
Stormwater Management
Energy
Communications
Schools
Child Day Care
Emergency Services
Other Governmental Facilities
Child Day Care
Nowadays, with many single-parent or two working-parent
households, child day care is a critical component of the
county’s infrastructure, making life easier for families while
increasing the size and flexibility of the county’s workforce.
Child day care is primarily used by children who are 4 and
under, although older children do use it for kindergarten and
after school programs, with children up to age 12 sometimes
in these programs. Most day care facilities close by 6 PM,
and parents who work at night or in the evening often have
trouble finding good day care.
There are three types of child day care facilities regulated by
the state, and one type, day care centers, has become more
popular over the past decade.
•
Family Day Care Homes are family residences with up
to six children. In 2012, there were 55 family day care
homes in the county, as compared to 138 in 2001.
•
Group Day Care Homes are family residences with up
to twelve children. In 2012, there were 10 group day
care homes, as compared to 16 in 2001.
•
Day Care Centers, the most common type of child day
care, are licensed facilities serving 7 or more children.
In 2012, there were 356 day care centers, a significant
increase from the 325 existing in 2001.
The need for child day care has increased. In 2011, there
were 39,833 children under age 6 living in families where
both parents work or their single parent was in the labor
force. This was 72% of the children under 6 who were
living with their parents, while in 2000 it was only 62% and
a total of 34,647 children.
After remaining flat over the past decade, the number of
children ages 0 to 4 is expected to increase slowly over the
upcoming decades. Even so, if the trend of more families
with small children having both parents work continues,
there may be more demand for day care services.
