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While impacts on providers and families who suddenly lost access are widely studied, less is known about the finer details of access challenges and how they varied. This brief analyzes child-care demand and access across pandemic stages to assess how supply disruptions affected families’ ability to meet care needs, using survey data from nearly 2,100 New England mothers with children under age 6.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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2025\u003Cbr>Child-care usage and access challenges during COVID-19 and the economic recovery\u003Cbr>Sarah Savage\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>|  |\n| |  |\n\nIssue Brief | 2025-1 | Child-care usage and access challenges during COVID-19 and the economic recovery  \nContents  \nAbstract .............................................................................................................................. 3  \nKey findings ........................................................................................................................ 4  \nIntroduction ......................................................................................................................... 4  \nBackground ........................................................................................................................ 5  \nAccess challenges and COVID-19 .................................................................................. 6  \nMethodology ....................................................................................................................... 6  \nSample characteristics .................................................................................................... 7  \nThe survey....................................................................................................................... 7  \nAccess measures ............................................................................................................ 8  \nAnalysis .............................................................................................................................. 8  \nCare usage from recollections to expectations ............................................................... 8  \nCare usage by subgroup ............................................................................................... 11  \nTable 1 | Percentage of mothers foregoing needed care by reference period and subgroup........................................................................................................................... 12  \nTable 2 | Mothers who use care agreeing or strongly agreeing that \"I use less care than I need due to...\" by state of residence ................................................................................ 13  \nDiscussion ........................................................................................................................ 18  \nConclusion ........................................................................................................................ 21  \nAbout the author ............................................................................................................... 22  \nAcknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 22  \nAppendix ........................................................................................................................... 23  \nDefinitions ...................................................................................................................... 23  \nLimitations ..................................................................................................................... 24  \nTable A1 | Unweighted sample counts .............................................................................25  \nStatistical testing ........................................................................................................... 26  \nReferences ....................................................................................................................... 27  \nThe views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston or the Federal Reserve System.  \n© 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. All rights reserved.  \nIssue Brief | 2025-1 | Child-care usage and access challenges during COVID-19 and the economic reco","cbCainQ4bRYDyE8n","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainQ4bRYDyE8n","pdf",2388655,29,"English","# Abstract\n# Key findings\n# Introduction\n# Background\n# Access challenges and COVID-19\n# Methodology\n## Sample characteristics\n## The survey\n## Access measures\n## Analysis\n## Care usage from recollections to expectations\n## Care usage by subgroup\n# Discussion\n# Conclusion\n# Appendix\n## Definitions\n## Limitations\n## Table A1 Unweighted sample counts\n## Statistical testing\n# References","[{\"question\":\"What problem does the issue brief focus on?\",\"answer\":\"It examines child-care usage and access challenges during COVID-19 and the economic recovery, including how difficult access affects families’ ability to meet care needs.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the brief study access challenges?\",\"answer\":\"It analyzes child-care demand and access at different stages of the pandemic using survey data collected from nearly 2,100 New England mothers with at least one child under age 6.\"},{\"question\":\"Why is child-care access important for parents’ work?\",\"answer\":\"Inaccessible child care can act as a barrier to work, affecting parents’ labor force participation and shaping families’ economic opportunities.\"}]","Regional & Community Outreach - Issue Brief 2025-1 - Child-care usage and access challenges during COVID-19 and the economic recovery | PDF",1792050353,73]