Comparing New and Established Home-Based Child Care Providers in the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education

Toddlers creating with paper and markers

AUTHORS: Marisa Schlieber, Alison Hooper, JoonHo Lee, and Juliet Bromer

June 2026

Research Report

This brief uses weighted data from the nationally representative 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) to examine how listed and unlisted home-based child care (HBCC) providers who were new to HBCC (offering HBCC for three years or less) in 2019 compared to more established HBCC providers. Research focused specifically on new HBCC providers is limited. Understanding the characteristics and experiences of new HBCC providers may provide a foundation for building and stabilizing child care supply. Findings about provider and caregiving characteristics, motivations and intentions, and participation in public programs and supports are described below for both new and established providers within three distinct groups: 1) listed, 2) unlisted paid, 3) unlisted unpaid providers.