Child care providers over the age of 50 run more than half of licensed home-based centers in the United States, leaving the sector facing a looming vacancy crisis. Sylvia Crews, 67, runs LTH Infants and Toddlers Center in Washington, D.C., where she cares for up to nine children. She has no plans to retire soon, but she worries about the future. “At a point, I know I’ll have to stop,” Crews said. “But as for the next generation, ‘How do we get them involved? We need to bring them in,’ she said.”
Flexible hours and personalization drive demand
Despite the aging workforce, home-based care remains a critical option for parents. Federal surveys show about 17 percent of children in nonparental care attend a home-based arrangement, compared to 66 percent in larger centers. Providers often offer care during non-traditional hours, a feature available to less than 8 percent of center-based programs. They also provide care in families’ native languages and tailored curriculums, such as those focused on outdoor play or specific cultural holidays. Hayley Village, who runs a home-based center in San Mateo, California, incorporates cultural events into her daily routine. “It’s connecting what you would do with your own children,” Village said.
Because these centers are small, they allow for highly personalized attention. Village writes her own curriculum, adjusting activities based on the children’s interests. “My curriculum is pretty much written entirely by me, and once you get to know the children, you know who likes the dinosaurs or who likes to cook or who likes to eat dirt,” she said. However, Village, who is 60, has begun to consider stepping back from daily operations. “I thought as I turn 60, it’s time to walk away and mentor the younger generation,” she said. “I can’t do some of the things I did 30 years ago.”
The threat of closure is real. A federal report found that more than 97,000 small home-based providers closed between 2005 and 2017. When centers close, they often do not reopen, Anna Powell of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment noted. “When you see a type of business going out of business, it doesn’t mean families don’t want it,” Powell said. “It is more of a warning bell; this is an aging group, and when centers close, they don’t come back.”
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The financial instability of home-based providers exacerbates the problem. These providers rarely offer retirement benefits. Village rents her home, which is worth nearly $2 million, and she notes that many states require home-based providers to own their property. This creates a significant barrier for younger workers who cannot afford to buy a home or pay for expensive commercial modifications like hard-wired sprinkler systems. “I wouldn’t say I’ve given up on it, but to live here I would need major financial assistance,” Village said. “Why is it not looked at that children are tomorrow’s future? We’re brain developers.”
Even when young people want to enter the field, they face stiff competition from higher-paying jobs. Village compared her wages to those of Amazon drivers. “When you’re competing with In-N-Out Burger and Amazon drivers’ salaries, at $22, $23 an hour, you have to invest in early childhood education to keep people in the field,” she said. As the current generation of providers ages and retires, families may find their options for flexible, culturally responsive care rapidly disappearing.
State efforts show limited reach
Nebraska offers grants for starting or expanding family child care operations. Connecticut launched a program allowing new providers a space to launch their centers, as many cannot operate from their own homes. Louisiana used American Rescue Plan funding to offer grants that helped centers weather the pandemic storm, though that program has now ended.
