Asian American Households’ Child Care and Work Disruptions Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Child care and early education (CCEE) plays a critical role in supporting young children’s developmental needs while allowing working families to pursue employment opportunities and achieve economic mobility. However, we know little about Asian American families’ experiences with CCEE, which leaves a significant gap in understanding their specific needs and barriers to access. Recent reports have found that Asian American children who live in poverty access Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies at incredibly low rates, with only 3 percent of potentially eligible Asian American Pacific Islander children receiving support based on federal eligibility. Because Asian American populations represent a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, with an estimated 19.7 million individuals identifying as Asian American in 2022—or roughly 6 percent of the total U.S. population—states and communities would benefit from more information about how to support Asian American children and families.

The COVID-19 pandemic (hereafter referred to as “the pandemic”) presents a unique opportunity to better understand the obstacles to access experienced by Asian American families. The pandemic exacerbated the challenges many families already experience in securing high-quality, affordable CCEE for their children. Many CCEE facilities were forced to reduce hours, limit capacity, increase tuition, or close entirely to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and respond to economic instability. Nationally, more than one third of families with young children under age 5 and lower incomes (defined as incomes below 200% of the federal poverty threshold) reported experiencing CCEE disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study examined Asian American[1] families’ experiences with CCEE disruptions both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were drawn from two national datasets: the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) Household Survey and the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey (HPS; 2021-2022). It includes a brief rationale for examining Asian American households with children during the pandemic, followed by an overview of CCEE utilization among Asian American children. It also describes the study’s methodology and includes a presentation of results and discussion of findings. A summary of findings appears below.

Summary of findings

• In 2019, about 30 percent of Asian American households with at least one child under age 5 and at least one working adult missed work days due to CCEE disruptions.
• A significantly higher percentage of Asian American households with lower incomes (below 200% of the federal poverty line [FPL]; 69%) did not miss any work days due to CCEE disruptions, compared to Asian American households with higher incomes (200% of FPL or above; 48%).
• In 2019, 40 percent of Asian American households adjusted their work schedules due to CCEE responsibilities and/or made special CCEE arrangements due to provider unavailability.
• During the pandemic (July 2021 – August 2022), 29 percent of Asian American households with at least one child under age 5 reported experiencing CCEE disruptions.
• Among Asian American households experiencing CCEE disruptions during the pandemic, 41 percent reported losing pay, while more than one third (37%) reported taking paid leave. Additionally, 32 percent reported supervising children while working, and 27 percent reported not working or not searching for a job.
• During the pandemic, Asian American households with lower incomes were significantly more likely to report not working or not searching for a job (57% vs. 21%) and were less likely to report taking paid leave, supervising children while working, or losing pay, compared to Asian American households with higher incomes.