INTERACTIVE Child Care Supply MapS FOR San Diego County
San Diego County is facing a child care crisis with a lack of available licensed child care slots in the region especially for the youngest children. Access to quality, affordable child care is critical to maintaining a family’s economic stability and mobility while also ensuring children are safe, loved, learning, and on the path to positive outcomes that can last a lifetime.
Explore the interactive maps below to understand where opportunity may be lacking for families in San Diego County and help us develop local solutions.
These maps and data are not to be altered or reproduced without express written consent from the YMCA of San Diego County.
Suggested Citation: YMCA of San Diego County Childcare Resource Service. “San Diego County Child Care Supply Map [map]”. June 8, 2022. https://www.ymcasd.org/child-care-supply-map
If you are searching for care for your child, please visit ymcasd.org/childcarereferrals, contact one of our YMCA Child Care Navigators at (800) 481-2151, or e-mail myreferral@ymcasd.org.
Questions to Consider While Using the Map
- What are the trends you notice between each type of care setting? Is a type of care more prevalent in certain areas?
- Which areas of the County are considered “child care deserts,” areas where child care supply falls well below the number of children in the area? What implication does this have for residents in that area?
- How can an understanding of the local child care landscape inspire research related to economic growth and child development?
- What role can stakeholders (policymakers, community-based organizations, private funders) play in improving access to quality, affordable child care?
Map Glossary
- Licensed Child Care Centers (CCCs): Care takes place in a commercial facility and offers full and part time schedules typically following traditional work hours. Staff qualifications differ based on the program funding. Licensed by State of California, Community care Licensing.
- CCC Infant License: Provides care to children from birth up to 23 months. Ratios vary depending on how the program is funded but a maximum of 1 adult for every 4 children.
- CCC Preschool License: Provides care to children ages 2 years to 5 years. Ratios vary depending on how the program is funded but a maximum of 1 adult for every 12 children.
- CCC School Age License: Provides care to children ages 6 and older. Ratios vary depending on how the program is funded but a maximum of 1 adult for every 14 children.
- Licensed Family Child Care Home (FCCs): Care takes place in the provider’s home and offers full and part time schedules. May offer traditional, evening, night, weekend, early morning or overnight care. There is no minimum staffing qualification. Licensed by State of California, Community Care Licensing.
- License-Exempt Child Care Centers (License-Exempt CCCs): Care takes place in a commercial facility and offers full and part time schedules typically following traditional work hours. Staff qualifications vary. Monitoring is the responsibility of the parent.
- Licensed Capacity: The total licensed capacity is the maximum legal number of children provider can care for at any one time. Ratios must be followed based on the child’s age group.
- Desired Capacity: The maximum number of children that the provider would like to care for at one time. This may be less than the maximum legal capacity. Desired capacity cannot exceed licensed capacity.
Additional Resources
- California Child Care Resource & Referral Network. (2017). San Diego County 2017 Child Care Portfolio. Retrieved from California Child Care Resource & Referral Network
- San Diego County Data Portal. (2016). 2016 San Diego County Demographics-Single Parent Households by City. Retrieved from The County of San Diego
- Center on Policy Initiatives. (September, 2016). Poverty and Income in the City of San Diego: San Diegans Left Behind. Retrieved from San Diego Center on Policy Initiatives
- Caster Family Center for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Research. (2018). 2018 Study of San Diego County Local Child Care Needs and Barriers: Data and Insights for San Diego County Individualized Child Care Subsidy Pilot and Local Child Care Policies. Retrieved from San Diego County Office of Education
