With funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, AIR has developed county-specific datasets and GIS maps to support preschool planning for all 58 counties in California. The supply and demand data provide a realistic assessment of the current profile of early care and education in the county.  The data can help planners target new resources to the communities where they are most needed.

NEW! AIR's policy brief, Preschool Supply and Demand in the State of California: An Assessment of Preschool Enrollment in Publicly Contracted and Privately Operated Preschool Programs, presents the challenges associated with conducting a needs assessment, findings from other studies of preschool supply and demand, and a summary of how the Preschool Provider Survey has helped AIR refine its needs assessment.

County Supply and Demand Data. County Supply and Demand Data. For each county in California, AIR has compiled early care and education supply and demand data at the zip code level, accessible through the county profile pages (see below). Each county needs assessment includes demand data (e.g., births and school enrollment) and licensed supply data (e.g., enrollment in State Preschool, Head Start, General Child Care, and other licensed programs). To help counties prioritize high-need areas, the datasets include enrollment in low Academic Performance Index (API) 1 - 3 and 1 - 5 schools, the percentage of three - and four-year-olds who qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Lunch, the percentage of English Language Learners, and the estimated percentage of three- and four-year-olds living in Title I school attendance areas.

County GIS Maps. Based on the most current data, AIR has generated GIS maps for each county (click on your county below). The maps are color-coded to illustrate the areas of the county where there is the greatest unmet need for early care and education and the largest number and percentage of children in low API school attendance areas. Before accessing your county data, download the Supply and Demand Assessment Instructions here. To help determine areas of the county that may be candidates for early phase-in of preschool, download the Criteria for Determining Priorities Checklist here. Do you need assistance with your county data? Contact Jennifer Anthony.