Boston continues to have a large and diverse system of early care and education for young children and their families. More than 1,069 early care and education providers in Boston include private and community-based Center-Based programs, Head Start and Early Head Start Center-Based programs, family child care providers, school-based preschool programs, and other license-exampt programs.
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764 active licensed family child care providers;
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217 Center-Based programs (190 community-based centers and 27 Head start programs);
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17 other license-exempt institutions (OLE); and
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71 separate Boston Public School preschool programs
Data source: Department of Early Education and Care, Child Care Choices of Boston Boston Public Schools enrollment data. Data analysis: Boston EQUIP
What is the early care and education capacity of Boston?
Altogether, Boston’s supply of early care and education yields an active capacity of 19,235 for infant/toddlers and preschool-aged children.

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Center-Based and Head Start programs 58.6% of this total capacity (11,277 spaces);
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Family child care provides 21.7% of total capacity (4,178 spaces);
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BPS provides 15.1% of total capacity (2,909 spaces); and
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Other license exempt programs provide the remaining 4.5% (871 spaces)
Data source: Department of Early Education and Care, Child Care Choices of Boston Boston Public Schools enrollment data. Data analysis: Boston EQUIP
What is Boston’s infant/toddler capacity?
There is a licensed and license-exempt infant/toddler capacity of 5,176 as of Spring 2009.

What is Boston’s preschool capacity?
There is a licensed and license-exempt preschool capacity of 14,059 as of Spring 2009.

How is capacity distributed?
Across the city, 73.1% of the early care and education capacity is for preschool children, whereas 26.9% is for infant-toddlers.
The majority of preschool capacity (61%), however, is provided by Center-Based and Head Start programs.
Compared to preschool care, capacity for infants and toddlers in Boston is split relatively evenly between community-based and Center/Head Start programs (53%) and family child care programs (47%).
How do supply and demand meet?
Overall, Boston meets almost all of the need for preschool-aged children, but there is not enough capacity for Infants and Toddlers across the city.
Based on total population demand from Boston Birth Records 2002-2007, there is currently enough age-appropriate early care and education capacity to cover 24.2% of the entire population of (21,398) infants and toddlers, and 70.6% of the entire preschool age population (19,927).
Current infant/toddler capacity meets 48.4% of a universal demand estimate that assumes need by 50% of all infants and toddlers.
For preschoolers, the current preschool capacity meets 91.6% of the universal demand that assumes need by 77% of all preschoolers
Data source: Department of Early Education and Care, Child Care Choices of Boston Boston Public Schools enrollment data. Data analysis: Boston EQUIP
