Report Finds Oregon’s Preschool-Age Child Care Deserts Are in Decline

A new report by Oregon State University finds that preschool-age child care deserts are in decline across the state.

This report is the fourth OSU has produced on child care deserts in Oregon since 2018, and captures a snapshot of providers in December 2024. A child care desert is any community where there are more than three children per regulated child care slot. (A regulated site is licensed by the state for health and safety.) The report finds that of the 36 counties in the state, the number considered deserts for preschool-aged child care have decreased from 27 to nine since 2018—about a 67% drop.

At the same time, the report finds little progress building care capacity for infants and toddlers. Just two counties, Gilliam and Multnomah, are not considered deserts in this category. That may be because public funding has historically been prioritized for preschool because of its proximity to kindergarten, the report notes.

“Providers continue to struggle to provide infant/toddler care, in part due to the high staffing levels needed to meet safety and developmental needs of very young children,” it reads. “Yet the early years are critical development, and many argue that waiting until preschool for public investment is not an effective way to support kindergarten readiness and family well-being.”

The OSU report attributes much of the progress in ramping up child care capacity to publicly funded state and federal programs. (The Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care commissioned this report.) Without publicly funded slots, the report shows preschool across the state would be in a more dire position, with 19 more counties considered preschool deserts.

“We’re seeing state and community investments making a difference in the available supply,” Megan Pratt, the report’s lead author and an associate professor at OSU, said in a statement. “There’s more child care available than there has been in the recent past.”

The report also does not try to estimate actual child care needs in Oregon, something its authors note “would be out of line with national efforts and…likely to introduce error.” Instead, it uses age group population estimates by Portland State University’s Population Research Center to determine the “total potential demand for care.”

And though many counties in Oregon are no longer considered “deserts,” most of those counties still have only enough regulated seats to provide 34% to 50% of their children with child care.

“It is important to note that not being a child care desert does not necessarily mean that the supply is sufficient for all families that need care,” the report notes. “Regardless of desert status, families must also navigate other factors that shape their ability to use available care, such as quality and affordability.”

More specific county data can be found beginning on page 17 of the report.