Procare Solutions Releases 2025 Child Care Business Trends Report

Rhea-AI Summary

Procare Solutions has released its third annual Child Care Business Trends Report for 2025, offering comprehensive insights into the early childhood education (ECE) industry. The report, based on surveys from over 100,000 child care professionals, includes a new teacher-focused supplement.

Key findings reveal four main challenges:

• hiring and retaining staff
• maintaining consistent enrollment
• staff burnout
• access to public funding

Notable statistics show that over 180,000 child care seats have been added since 2019, one-third of centers rely on grants, and daycare app usage increased 7% year-over-year. The report highlights that while teachers seek professional development training, approximately 25% of centers have no training implementation plans.

Positive

• 180,000+ increase in child care capacity since 2019
• 7% YoY growth in daycare app adoption
• 50%+ teachers report time savings from management software

Negative

• One-third of centers dependent on grants for operations
• 25% of centers lack professional training plans
• Multiple operational challenges including staff retention and enrollment

DENVER, March 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Procare Solutions, a leader in child care management software for more than 30 years, released our third annual report on early childhood education and the child care industry. For the first time, the data-packed report includes a teacher-focused supplement, including what challenges they face and how directors can support them.

The 2025 Procare Solutions Child Care Business Report also includes insights from ECE experts on topics ranging from classroom management to maximizing revenue. And it delves into government-funded ECE programs with a look at how public funds to providers could be impacted in the coming year.

The findings in this report have been collected from a comprehensive survey shared with more than 100,000 child care leaders, directors, teachers (who completed a specialized survey) and other stakeholders in our industry.

Four main challenges were highlighted: hiring and retaining staff, maintaining consistent enrollment, staff burnout and limited access to public funding such as grants and subsidies.

Other findings of the report include:

• More than 180,000 seats in child care centers have been added since 2019, even as the number of young children in the country has dropped.
• One-third of respondents say they rely on grants to run their business.
• Around one-third of respondents continue to create their own curriculum. A similar number still rely on paper-based curriculum.
• Respondents to the Procare Solutions survey who said they use a daycare app increased 7% from last year, which confirms that family engagement apps are no longer a nice perk – parents expect them, and they are a necessity for real-time communication.
• Over half of teachers who took the survey said using child care management software made their daily tasks easier and a similar number said it saves a "significant" amount of time.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

Teachers who completed the Procare Solutions survey said professional development training would help them overcome the challenges they encounter in their careers.

Yet even as ECE teachers ask for more training, roughly a quarter of respondents have no plans to implement professional training.

"By working together, we can address these challenges while also supporting the workforce that makes ECE possible," said Jon Pollock, Chief Product Officer of Procare Solutions. "Investing in staff training improves their job satisfaction, and teachers who have earned a Child Development Associate credential are better equipped to meet the needs of young learners."

With the help of technology such as child care management software to support busy child care owners and directors, and online professional development programs designed for busy teachers, the challenges outlined in the report can be overcome. The data in this report will help child care leaders make plans to grow their businesses while supporting their staff.   

Download your free copy of the 2025 Procare Solutions Child Care Business Report to make informed decisions on how best to thrive in child care this year, and beyond. 

For more information or to schedule an interview about the report, email Leah Woodbury, head of content at Procare Solutions, at ltwoodbury@procaresoftware.com.

About Procare Solutions

For over 30 years, Procare Solutions has been dedicated to empowering early childhood educators by providing products and services that enable them to focus on the care, safety and education of children. 

We recognize the responsibility that comes with nurturing and educating children, which is why our child care management solutions are designed to automate business processes, help ensure safety and compliance, communicate with families and provide educational resources and training to help teachers and children thrive. 

Over 40,000 satisfied customers have chosen Procare Solutions as their trusted partner in providing exceptional care for young minds. 

Procare Solutions is a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500 and Fortune 1000. For more information, please visit ProcareSolutions.com.

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SOURCE Procare Solutions

FAQ

What are the main challenges facing child care centers in 2025 according to Procare Solutions' report?

The report identifies four main challenges: hiring and retaining staff, maintaining consistent enrollment, staff burnout, and access to public funding such as grants and subsidies.

How has child care capacity changed since 2019?

More than 180,000 seats in child care centers have been added since 2019, despite a decrease in the young child population.

What percentage of child care centers depend on grants for operations?

One-third of respondents report relying on grants to run their business.

How has technology adoption changed in child care centers?

Daycare app usage increased 7% from the previous year, with over half of teachers reporting that child care management software saves significant time and makes daily tasks easier.

What do ECE teachers identify as their primary professional need?

Teachers identified professional development training as key to overcoming career challenges, yet roughly 25% of centers have no plans to implement professional training.