Measuring the Regional Importance of Early Care and Education

The Cornell Methodology Guide

by Rosaria Ribeiro and Mildred Warner, Ph.D.

Terms used in this report

Section 1. Linking Economic Development and Child Care

• Challenges and Opportunities
• Report Overview

Section 2. First Steps: Building your Team

• Defining the Child Care Sector
• Defining the Geographic Area of the Study
• Addressing Data Challenges: The Importance of a Technical Advisory Committee
• Building New Partnerships: The Importance of a Policy Advisory Committee

Section 3. Measuring the Size of the Child Care Sector

• Collecting Economic Data For Child Care
    Basic economic data on child care sector worksheet (requires Microsoft Excel)
• Measuring the Size of the Sector
  1. Number of Establishments
  2. Child Care Labor Force
  3. Children Served
  4. Gross Receipts
       Regulated Provider Fees Worksheet (requires Microsoft Excel)
• Child Care is an Important Economic Sector

Section 4. Estimating Parents Served

• Estimating the Number of Working Parents with Children in Paid Care
    Dependent and Child Care Tax Credit Worksheet (requires Microsoft Excel)
• Estimating Parent Purchasing Power
• Parent Tuition: A Large Proportion of Family Expenditures

Section 5. Measuring the Regional Economic Linkages of the Child Care Sector

• Input-Output Analysis
• Comparing the Child Care Sector with Other Economic Sectors
• Using Input-Output Modeling to Assess Changes in the Regional Economy
• Methodological Challenges of Using Input-Output Models

Section 6. Economic Development Effects of Government Investments in Child Care

• Government Investment Strengthens the Child Care Market
    Public Funding Sources and Leverage Worksheet (requires Microsoft Excel)
• Subsidies Make Work Pay for Parents and Employers
• Summary

Section 7. Economic Development Strategies for the Child Care Sector: From Analysis to Policy Change

• Supporting Child Care Businesses
• Supporting the Child Care Workforce
• Investing in Children
• Supporting Employers and Working Parents
• New Visions for Economic Development Policy

Appendices

• Appendix A. Matrix of Completed Studies
• Appendix B. National Economic Data
• Appendix C. US Census Bureau: Decennial Census Data
• Appendix D. National Surveys on Early Care and Education

Bibliography