Jobs in child daycare are found across the country, mirroring the distribution of the population. Child daycare operations vary in size, from the self-employed person caring for a few children in a private home to the large corporate-sponsored center employing a large staff. About half of all wage and salary jobs in 2002 were located in establishments with fewer than 20 employees. Nearly all establishments have fewer than 50 workers.

Opportunities for self-employment in this industry are among the best in the economy. More than 40 percent of all workers in the industry are self-employed, compared with only 8 percent in all industries. This reflects the ease of entering the child daycare business.

The median age of child daycare providers is 36, compared with 40 for all workers. About 23 percent of all care providers are 24 years of age or younger (table 1). About 8 percent of these workers are below the age of 20, reflecting the minimal training requirements for many child daycare positions.