Disparities in the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Families of Preschool-aged Children in Northern California

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent shelter-in-place orders caused unprecedented challenges for young children and their families. Understanding the scope and nature of these effects can inform federal and state policies and advocacy efforts to minimize disruptions to child development and well-being. This study aims to examine pandemic-related impacts and its potential disparities based on demographic characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, and immigration status. In this survey of 3,867 parents of preschool-aged children in Northern California, results indicate the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmingly restrained parents’ access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) and intervention services. Data describing gender, ethnicity and immigration status also exhibit divergent patterns of loss of access to ECEC and other necessities. Authors discuss how the pandemic and lockdown exacerbated some of the prolonged, structural inequities existing in the United States prior to the onset of the pandemic.