Snapshots from the NSECE - Child Care and Early Education for Children with Conditions That Affect Their Care - Findings from the 2012 and 2019 National Surveys of Early Care and Education - OPRE Report 2025-095

Oct 15, 2026

High-quality child care and early education (CCEE) is hard to access for many families, especially those with children who have identified or suspected disabilities or related conditions affecting care. Using data from the 2012 and 2019 National Surveys of Early Care and Education (NSECE), this Snapshot examines where children received care, the types of non-parental care used, and workforce preparedness. It also evaluates changes from 2012 to 2019 in care arrangements and provider engagement, with key statistics on prevalence and training activities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Key Findings

Glossary

Snapshots from the NSECE Child Care and Early Education for Children with Conditions That Affect Their Care Findings from the 2012 and 2019 National Surveys of Early Care and Education Meghan McDoniel, Katie Richards, and Rebecca Madill Introduction Obtaining high-quality child care and early education (CCEE) is difficult for many families. However, families with children who have an identified or suspected disability are particularly likely to face challenges in obtaining care.1 Many children require specialized services that are not available in every CCEE program, such as a one-on-one aide, speech therapy, occupational therapy, or accommodations for physical limitations or sensory challenges, among many other potential services. To understand the experiences of children who need additional supports or accommodations for their care, the findings in this Snapshot use data from surveys of parents, CCEE providers, and CCEE classroom staff collected through the 2012 and 2019 National Surveys of Early Care and Education (NSECE) . The NSECE surveys 2 asked respondents about children with a physical, emotional, developmental, or behavioral condition that affected the provision of care and/or prompted an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) . We therefore use the term “ children with one or more conditions that affect their care”when referring to the children of interest in this Snapshot. a This Snapshot examines the landscape of child care in 2019 for children with one or more conditions that affect their care, exploring both where children received care and how prepared the CCEE workforce was to care for them. As the number of young children served under the Individuals with Disabilities Act increased from 2012 to 2021, 3 we also examine whether there have been changes in the landscape of child care for children with one or more conditions that affect care over that time. Specifically, this Snapshot presents the following: • The number of children under age 6, not yet in kindergarten, who have one or more conditions that affect their care, and the number of households with any such children a The use of specific language when writing about disabilities is ever-evolving. The original Snapshot using the 2012 NSECE data referred to the population as “children with special needs.” However, according to the National Center on Disability and Journalism and the AP Stylebook, language using the word “special” when referring to disabilities should be avoided. The best option would be to describe specific disabilities or needs, and only when it is pertinent to the topic. The current AP Stylebook suggests using person-first language when referencing a population of people (i.e., children with one or more conditions that affect their care) . OPRE Report \#2025-095 | July 2025 • Types of non-parental care used by children with one or more conditions that affect their care • The proportion of CCEE providers who serve children with one or more conditions that affect their care (overall, and by public funding source) • The proportion of center-based workforce members who work mostly with children with one or more conditions that affect their care • The topics of professional development activities recently accessed by workforce members who primarily work with children with one or more conditions that affect their care When possible, analyses include descriptive statistics for the 2019 data as well as statistical tests comparing findings from 2012 and 2019. Key Findings • In 2019, 6.4 percent of children under age 6, not yet in kindergarten, were reported as having one or more conditions that affect their care. Overall, 7.9 percent of households reported that they had at least one child with one or more conditions that affect their care. • From 2012 to 2019, the percentage of children reported as having one or more conditions that affect their care was relatively

FAQs

What population does the Snapshot focus on?

The Snapshot covers children with one or more conditions that affect their care, including physical, emotional, developmental, or behavioral conditions and children represented via an IEP or IFSP, as well as mental, physical, or other disabilities or delays.

Which data sources are used to produce the findings?

Findings use data collected through the 2012 and 2019 National Surveys of Early Care and Education (NSECE), based on surveys of parents, CCEE providers, and CCEE classroom staff.

What major changes are highlighted from 2012 to 2019?

The Snapshot reports a statistically significant increase in the share of households with at least one child with conditions affecting care, and a shift away from regular CCEE toward parental care only, alongside increased use of unpaid care from individuals such as family, friends, or neighbors.

Oct 15, 2026

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