Hawaii Island has a greater shortage of infant and toddler care options than anywhere else in the state, according to a report by the University of Hawaii Center on the Family.
The report, released Thursday, shows licensed infant-toddler centers in Hilo have capacity for just one in every 60 children under 3. In Puna and Ka‘u, there are 74 children for every available seat. In the Kona-Kohala-Hamakua region, there are 68.
Statewide, infant-toddler centers have capacity for one in 37 keiki under 3.
“Not everybody wants to put their baby or toddler in an infant-toddler center, but if you do, your options are far and few between,” said Barbara DeBaryshe, interim director of the center, adding she hears stories of couples registering for infant-toddler center wait-lists while pregnant due to the shortage.
“It’s easier to get and keep your seats full if you’re located in more of a population center,” she continued. “So availability in Hilo and … rural regions, where travel distance is great, it’s more challenging for a center to fill up all its seats.”
The report is a “first comprehensive statewide look at early learning programs from birth to age 5,” DeBaryshe said. It aims to highlight areas of need in the early childhood landscape and places to improve.
It studied child care and preschool centers, family child care homes and family-child interaction programs.
Data shows the situation is far less severe for children age 3 to 5: Licensed child care centers in Hilo for that age group have capacity for one in every two children. In Puna and Ka‘u, it’s one in six keiki ages 3 to 5, and in the Kona-Kohala-Hamakua region, one in three.
The report also found Hawaii is the least affordable place for center-based care, relative to family income. The average cost for full-time family childcare is $7,200 per year on the Big Island, DeBaryshe said.
At a center, the cost jumps to $7,600 annually. At a center specifically for infants and toddlers, it averages $10,000 per year.
Statewide, the yearly cost of full-time, center-based infant care averages $13,000.
However, the report also showed Hawaii has one of the highest percentages of accredited programs of any state, which DeBaryshe said is a “sign of quality and commitment.”
“I saw this report as a celebration of bright spots in the early learning landscape but we also need to make sure every child in our state has access to high quality, early learning enrichment,” she said.
The full report can be found at: tinyurl.com/ChildcareHawaii
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
