“The younger they are, the more trustworthy we would want the caregiver to be. Parents and grandparents would be ideal and then child care center if parents need to work and grandpar- ents not available. Once the child is able to speak and communicate to the parent events or things that occurred, we would feel better about taking her to school based program.”
Dad with one three-year-old living in Brooklyn
What matters most to parents varies by the type of child care parents are already using, suggesting that these factors may also shape their stated preferences. Parents already using informal settings, for example, are more likely to say that having a consistent caregiver mattered most to them — 20 per- cent compared to 14 percent not using informal care. Parents not using informal settings were more likely to say curriculum and convenient location mattered.
“I trust my spouse and immediate family. At 3 years old my child can let me know if anything bad happened to him/her at daycare.”
Dad with a one-year-old living in Brooklyn
What Parents Prioritize in Terms of Child Care Quality Figure 15 Figure 15: Measures Of Quality
54%
Health and safety standards
Early childhood education degrees/credentials
41%
Outdoor play and physical activity opportunities
40%
39%
Small class or program sizes
38%
Focus on school readiness
Specific approach to learning (e.g., play-based)
32%
19%
Cultural responsiveness
Other 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 3%
Notes: Source: Robin Hood Source: Survey of 4,306 parents and caregivers of children ages 0-5 living in New York City; conducted by NORC for New America’s New Practice Lab and Robin Hood, March 31-April 20, 2026. Note: Parents were asked to consider which measures of quality are most important to them. Parents could select up to three response options.
THE 2026 NEW YORK CITY PARENT SURVEY : WHAT CHILD CARE PARENTS WANT 29
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