Early Care and Education Economic Benefit Study, Tulare County (2024)

The Tulare County Office of Education requested Brion Economics, Inc. prepare the 2024 Early Care and Education (ECE) Economic Benefit Study. The report highlights the ECE industry’s economic benefits and multiplier effects on the local economy, emphasizing ECE’s role in enabling parents to work and fostering children’s development for future success in life. The study analyzes the local ECE workforce’s challenges including the shortfall of ECE workers and available child care spaces, demographic needs, the industry’s impact on the local economy, and other economic conditions. The Study cites low wages and benefits as critical issues and a large lack of ECE spaces in the County. The County has low labor force participation rates for women with children under six as well as high unemployment rates, and low household incomes. Recommendations include creating a financing strategy that utilizes every possible funding source available; creating an initiative similar to “Build Up” programs in other counties to focus directly on the needs of the child care industry as a whole, supporting unionizing ECE workers and conducting land audits to address child care desserts and prohibitive zoning laws. Additional recommendations are to expand the ECE provider base to include more Family Child Care Homes, work with hospitals and large employers to offer child care on-site or as paid subsidies and evaluate existing facilities for renovation to serve both Infant and Toddler care as well as after-school and nontraditional hours care for children ages 0-12 years old.