This brief presents findings of nontraditional-hour child care supply and demand in Austin/Travis County based on analyses of data from interviews, focus groups, and survey and administrative data. 

Key findings

• In Austin/Travis County, demand for nontraditional-hour child care (before 7:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. during the traditional workweek and anytime on weekends) outstrips the supply of regulated care.
• Parents facing structural barriers to opportunities are substantially more likely to work nontraditional hours, with much higher shares of working parents who have low incomes, are Black or Hispanic, who have lower levels of education, and who are immigrants working nontraditional hours.
• Community leaders, employers, child care providers and parents reported that the insufficient supply of nontraditional-hour care causes challenges affecting employers and employees.
• None of the parents participating in the study reported using child care subsidies for nontraditional-hour child care.
• To address the demand for nontraditional-hour child care, Austin/Travis County leaders, local workforce boards, state agencies responsible for child care, and the federal government can pilot a range of initiatives, prioritize exploring incentives that are sufficient for regulated providers to expand hours of care, and support unregulated providers in becoming licensed and participating in the subsidy system to offer nontraditional-hour child care.