Illinois Nontraditional-Hour Child Care Study (INCCS)

Supply, quality, and sustainability of nontraditional-hour child care: An equity-focused policy-research partnership for Illinois

Project Overview

This project addresses critical gaps in knowledge about concepts of quality in nontraditional-hour (NTH) child care and the types of supports needed to maintain, sustain, and grow its supply. It also considers the lived experiences of families who search for and use NTH child care and providers who offer care during these hours. The knowledge gathered will provide the Illinois’ Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) lead agency and the field with new knowledge to inform policy development aimed at building supply and increasing equitable access, enhancing quality, and sustaining a thriving NTH workforce.

Key research components:

Literature reviews of nontraditional-hour supply and demand, quality, and licensing regulations
Survey of parent perspectives of NTH care
Survey of provider perspectives of NTH care
Case studies of providers who offer NTH care across diverse settings
Secondary data analysis of NSECE 2019 Household Survey
Focus group study of support staff for NTH child care providers
Analysis of administrative data on NTH child care from Illinois Child Care Resource and Referral Agency

Collaborators

This research is a collaboration between Erikson Institute, the University of Chicago, Illinois Action for Children, and Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Early Childhood
Principal Investigator: Juliet Bromer, PhD
Co-Principal Investigators: Julia Henly, PhD and David Alexander, PhD

Funding

Administration for Children and Families (ACF), OPRE Child Care Policy Research Partnership Grant

Project Website

For more information about this project and full list of project publications, please visit the project website housed at the Erikson Institute.

Go to Full Project Website

Study Results and Publications by UChicago Policy Levers Team

Research Brief

Aligning Work and Care in a 24-7 Economy:

The Child Care Arrangements of Low-Income Families Working Nontraditional Hours

Summary: Using calendar data and household data from the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), this report examines the use of nontradititonal-hour care among children under age 5 requiring care during nontraditional hours.

Full Research Brief