The number of family child care (FCC) providers in the United States, or providers who are licensed, certified, or registered to provide care in their home, fell by nearly half between 2005 and 2017 (NCEQA, 2020a). This has implications for families who prefer FCC settings. Understanding providers’ motivations for starting their program may provide policymakers with information on how to better support providers drawn to this setting. Through interviews with 30 Black/bi-racial FCC providers, we found providers started their programs to support family/neighbors, to provide an alternative perceived to be safer than center-based programs, and to be in charge. In terms of differences, providers felt they had more control and that they could provide more individualized attention in home-based settings as compared to center-based settings. This research advances the study of why providers work in home-based programs, and how they perceive this work as different from center-based care, with implications for supporting the FCC workforce.
