Data Story: Using Geospatial Insights to Improve Childcare Accessibility

A statewide early childhood agency recognized the need to revise income eligibility guidelines for its childcare assistance program. However, leaders faced a fundamental barrier:

They lacked a clear, unified view of childcare access across the state.

Despite multiple data sources, the agency didn’t have reliable insight into:

• where children lived
• which communities had adequate access to childcare
• where supply gaps left families with few or no options
• how demographic and economic factors shaped local needs

Without this visibility, updating eligibility guidelines risked creating uneven access, unintended inequities, or misaligned resource distribution — ultimately leaving vulnerable families without the support they needed.

At its core, the agency was trying to make policy decisions without the full picture.

The Approach

To close this insight gap, the agency partnered with CSpring to conduct a statewide, data-driven assessment of childcare accessibility.

Our team used a multi-layered analytical approach combining public census data, geospatial modeling, and interactive visualization to give leaders a comprehensive and actionable understanding of childcare access.

Our work included:

• Analyzing population distribution of children ages 0–18 across all regions
• Integrating demographic and economic indicators, including poverty rates and racial composition
• Mapping licensed childcare facilities statewide
• Using drive-time analysis to determine realistic access to available care
• Identifying communities with the greatest need for additional capacity
• Comparing adjacent areas to minimize unintended consequences in policy updates

This transformed disconnected data points into a single, clear view of need and opportunity.

What We Delivered

CSpring developed a suite of tools that helped translate complexity into clarity:

• Interactive Dashboards - Users could explore childcare capacity, supply gaps, and population needs—from statewide trends to local community details.
• Geospatial Maps & Drive-Time Models - GIS-powered visualizations highlighted underserved regions and illustrated how travel distance affected access to care.
• Longitudinal Insights - We delivered a foundational dataset and framework to help leaders monitor changes and adjust policy as needs evolve.

These tools empowered decision-makers to move beyond assumptions and act on evidence.

The Impact

Equipped with accurate, location-based insights, the agency was able to:

• Redesign childcare assistance guidelines using a more equitable and transparent approach
• Target resources toward communities with the highest need
• Avoid unintended disadvantages in bordering or adjacent areas
• Make decisions based on a trusted, longitudinal, statewide dataset
• Improve access to childcare for families in historically underserved regions

This work did more than influence one policy decision.
It reshaped how leaders understand childcare access, providing a sustainable foundation for future planning.

Why It Matters

Access to childcare is essential for children, families, and the strength of the workforce. When leaders have clear data, they can ensure that every child—no matter where they live—has access to the support they need to thrive.

This project demonstrates how data, geospatial insight, and careful analysis can drive more equitable, effective policy-making across the public sector.