Measuring Unmet Need for Child Care
To assess unmet need, we need to have an operational definition of the term.
The term "unmet need" implies falling short of a standard, but which? Experts, parents, providers, advocates, & public officials differ.
There are many possible types of unmet need: Does the area have a deficit in the availability of services (formal? informal?)? Is their quality substandard? Are prices unaffordable? Is there a deficit of services at non-standard hours? Are there language incompatibilities? Is there a deficit of care for special needs children?