Battle Creek ECE Snapshot

snapshot map: provider type and quality on child density 0 to 5 There are 47 ECE providers in the Battle Creek study area with a capacity of 1,869 slots for children ages 0 to 5. Of these 47 providers, 17 have a three star and higher quality rating or 37% of providers in the study area. In terms of the type of ECE provider, 21 are child care centers, 16 are family child care homes, and 10 are group child care homes.

• 87.86% of licensed capacity is provided at ECE Centers while 6.84% is provided by group child care home and 5.29% is at family child care home.

• Based on our data from the U.S. Census ACS 5-year data, there is an estimated population of 4,260 children ages 0 to 5.  There is insufficient supply of ECE provider slots to meet family needs resulting in a shortage of 2,391 slots for children ages 0 to 5.
• The unmet need for ages 0 to 2 is highest, making up 1,522 slots of the gap.
• Only 37% of ECE capacity is rated high quality, defined as providers rating three stars and higher.
• Only 19% of children ages 0 to 5 who are eligible for subsidized care are being served. This means that over four out of five children who are eligible for subsidized care are not being served.   

Our data showed a supply of 1,584 quality slots for ages 0 to 5 which translates to a gap of 2,676 high quality slots. More specifically, there is a gap of 1,623 high quality slots for ages 0 to 2, and 1,052 high quality slots for ages 3 to 5.

The distribution of quality providers—defined as three stars and above—appear primarily in the eastern portion of the Battle Creek study area. This corresponds to high concentrations of children ages 0 to 5.

Notably, only one five-star provider, four four-star providers, and twelve three-star providers are in the Battle Creek study area.

We see that many high quality (3 stars and higher) are in the north and northeastern portion of Battle Creek.

Of the 1,869 total ECE slots for ages 0 to 5, only 477 subsidized slots are available for the 2,513 children who qualify for subsidized slots. The means that 2,036 children who are eligible for subsidized ECE are unable to obtain slots. 

There is an overall gap of 2,036 subsidized slots for children ages 0 to 5, with 19% of children served. This means that 4 out of 5 children who qualify are not able to access subsidized care.

The map to the right illustrates the locations of providers based on their quality rating as well as the provider type (e.g., child care center, family group home, group child care home).

Map with providers and employers

There is a growing awareness of the importance of employers as part of the solution to making early childhood education affordable and accessible. Working parents must often juggle finding affordable care that is also convenient located near their employer or on their travel route. Some larger employers are beginning to explore locating childcare facilities onsite or near their business.

One challenge with the childcare sector is that it is made up of small businesses without the resources and infrastructure to apply for and manage government support. Recent examples were the Covid-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that provided low-interest loans to eligible businesses. Many childcare providers would have likely benefited from this funding, however they were less likely to receive funding compared to other small-businesses. Another challenge for childcare providers is paying competitive wages to attract employees.

Local businesses and organizations with the resources and space are poised to provide a solution for workers that need affordable childcare.

Employers are beginning to understand that one of the biggest barriers for workers to pursuing or keeping a good paying job is the cost and accessibility to child care. Pulse has identified several major Battle Creek employers who have been identified as "champions" who are key to developing robust partnerships with ECE providers.

The Michigan Tri-Share program was created to change all that. Through Tri-Share, the cost of child care is shared equally among employer, employee and the State of Michigan — a three-way split — with coordination provided regionally by a Tri-Share facilitator hub. With Tri-Share, parents and caregivers can get back to work knowing that their kids are safe

Because it improves and expands funding, Tri-Share also helps stabilize the child care system by ensuring licensed providers receive reliable payments and remain viable. That in turn alleviates parents’ burden of finding an opening at the high-quality, licensed child care center of their choice, providing them with peace of mind that makes them more productive at work.

The map to the right shows the locations of seven major employers in Battle Creek who are considered leaders or "champions" in developing this concept of co-locating childcare on or near their business. A one-mile buffer provides context in relation to existing childcare providers.

Map: race and ethnicity

The racial composition of Battle Creek is overwhelmingly white/Caucasian households, followed by Black-African American households and by Hispanic/Latino households.

The areas of highest concentration of races other than white are located in the northeastern portion of Battle Creek. Notably, the areas shaded in yellow represent Census tracts with the highest percentages of Black/African Americans.

Additionally, the areas with the highest concentrations of races other than white/Caucasian have some of the highest concentrations of children per square mile as well as some of the lowest incomes in Battle Creek.

Note: the map shows areas outlined in red and yellow that indicate the redlining "grade" or ranking based primarily on the racial and demographic composition that were assigned by the Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s and 1940s. These are not representative or accurate measures of the vibrancy and composition today.

The map to the right shows median household incomes and the percentage of children ages 0 to 5 with all parents working.

There are eight areas (Census tracts) in the northeastern portion of Battle Creek where there are lower median household incomes and a high percentage of children under the age of six where all parents are working. These are areas where there is more acute family need for childcare in general, but especially so if a parent was unable take time away from work or school. Also, these are areas where employers would suffer as well if parents were absent from work due to a lack of childcare.