Report Shows Child Care Centers Slowly Recovering after COVID-19 Closures

After a dramatic dip in attendance due to COVID-19 closures, child care centers across the U.S. are beginning to see a steady rise in check-ins, according to a report released by Procare Solutions, the leader in child care management software for more than 30 years. The report, “Tracking the Impact of COVID-19 on the Child Care Industry,” assessed anonymized data across Procare’s customer base to identify trends in attendance and child care center re-openings.

“With more than 30,000 customers, Procare can offer a helpful perspective on the state of the child care industry as we all work to navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said JoAnn Kintzel, CEO of Procare Solutions. “As states across the U.S. are beginning to relax stay-at-home orders, we’re seeing a marked increase in the number of centers that are either opening up or increasing their enrollment. During the week of June 22, our data showed center attendance is up more than 250 percent over its lowest point since shutdowns began.”

KEY FACTS

• The report provides both a U.S. and state-by-state analysis of child care attendance rates.
• Top trends the report identified include:
  • Sixty-one percent of child care centers closed during the worst of the crisis, and 46 percent of the centers that closed have reopened.
  • After an 87 percent drop in attendance following COVID-19 shutdowns, attendance in child care centers is rebounding. During the week of June 22, attendance is up over 250 percent from its low point during the crisis.
  • California, along with much of the northeastern United States, has the lowest current attendance rate compared with their normal activity.
  • Idaho, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Utah were among the least impacted states at the worst point in the crisis, which points to why they are also among the states returning to normal the quickest, with some states reaching higher than 75 percent of their normal attendance the week of June 22.
• Key metrics analyzed include:
  • Weekly percentage of attendance compared to normal attendance rates.
  • Percentage of centers that are open and closed.
  • Change in attendance compared to the previous week.
  • Percentage of closed centers that have reopened.

To read the full report, click here.

Procare Solutions has been a provider of child care management software, integrated payment processing, technology and services. The company supports over 30,000 child care centers, preschools, daycares, afterschool programs, camps and related facilities with comprehensive software.