The Bipartisan Policy Center conducted a study showing childcare needs outpaced availability by greater rates in rural areas. The “childcare gap” can be as much as 20% higher in some rural communities than in urban ones. (The Bipartisan Policy Center calculated the number of childcare slots available locally and compared it to the number of children who likely needed such care because their parents were in the workforce.) The study estimated the childcare gap in rural Wisconsin to be 50%, while the urban rate was 38%.
Rural Reporter