This guide addresses the critical need for affordable housing and reliable child care, two significant burdens on family budgets that often force compromises on quality. Aimed at developers, policymakers, and providers, the guide outlines key design, financing, and policy considerations. It includes real-world scenarios and case studies to offer best practices and policy recommendations for the effective co-location of family child care and affordable housing.
LIIF: Family Child Care and Affordable Housing;Two Natural Partners.
This comprehensive analysis delves into the intertwined challenges of housing and child care affordability in the United States. With one in three households experiencing housing cost burdens and families spending over $10,000 per child annually on early care, these financial pressures significantly affect young parents who already face economic constraints. The report also highlights the constrained supply in both sectors, worsening conditions of housing and childcare facilities, and how these issues have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. As a solution, it introduces the concept of ‘co-location,’ where child care facilities are integrated into housing developments, particularly focusing on Family Child Care (FCC) as a cost-effective and convenient option for communities. This approach aims to simultaneously alleviate housing and childcare shortages, providing a roadmap for improved family well-being.