Hidden fragility: Closure among licensed child-care services in British Columbia

Research shows that stability is one component of quality child care. We investigate the understudied phenomenon of the stability of child-care facilities over time, focusing on the province of British Columbia, Canada. Although net figures show growth in the number of providers between 1997 and 2001, they obfuscate a dramatic level of closure among centers and family child caregivers. Our study analyzes closure rates in the light of caregiver and facility characteristics for more than 2500 licensed services, plus the community contexts in which the services operate. Results underscore the importance of public policy for center stability, re-confirm the benefits of paying higher wages to staff, and shed light on the influence of socioeconomic trends over the sector.