This study examines the continuity of license-exempt home-based providers offering subsidized child care in Alameda County, California over the course of a year. Using lists of providers maintained by agencies distributing subsidies, the study identifies variations in continuity based on neighborhood income level, location of care, and whether the provider was related to the child.

This study was the first to provide a comprehensive portrait of early care and education services in one community, (Alameda County, CA) followed prospectively over time, and including all three sectors of the industry: licensed center-based care, licensed family child care homes, and license-exempt home-based care.