Subsidy density in early education centers: Comparing center and community associations across two nationwide samples

Government-issued child care subsidies from the Child Care and Development Fund are a mechanism for providing equitable access to child care and early education in the United States. Using two nationwide samples, the 2012 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) and the 2019 NSECE, we assess the relationship between features of early care and education centers and subsidy density, or the proportion of children enrolled that use subsidies. Our findings suggest specific features of centers— including the center’s enrollment and operational and financial structure— as well as their surrounding communities, are associated with subsidy density. Across both samples, enrolling infants or toddlers, having a quality rating or for-profit status, operating in an area with moderate or high poverty density, and receiving parent pay are associated with increased proportions of children using subsidies. Having a higher number of children enrolled and being fully enrolled are linked with decreased proportions of children using subsidies enrolled. Unique to the 2019 sample, receiving Head Start and public pre-K funds are associated with a higher proportion of children using subsidies enrolled in centers. Given the documented decline of centers receiving subsidies and evidence that centers may limit the degree of subsidy participation to sustain operations, understanding features of programs associated with subsidy density is critical to creating policies that support ECE access for subsidy-eligible children.