Cape Cod Commission to begin early education and childcare needs assessment 

Building the foundation for improved access to services 

Communities throughout Cape Cod and the Islands have long contended with underlying challenges related to the provision of quality, affordable childcare and early education services. COVID-19 has amplified these dynamics, further complicating the issues affecting families and providers. 

While these challenges have immediate effects within the childcare and early education industries, they also have broad repercussions for the region’s economic recovery and the economic status of women, children, and families. 

Supported by $200,000 in state funding, the Cape Cod Commission will collaborate with Barnstable County and the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy to conduct a survey-based needs assessment and develop recommendations in support of the region’s families and early education and childcare industry.  

In the coming months, the study team will review existing data and research related to the state of early education and childcare on Cape Cod and the Islands The team will issue one survey for providers and another for families with young children. Results will help to assess the supply, demand, challenges, and preferences related to early education and childcare services.  

Research will culminate in a report detailing existing levels of provision and needs, gaps in services, and potential strategies for mitigating these gaps, providing a foundation for improving the accessibility of early education and childcare in the region.