The mapping tools provided on this website were created by the Cornell University ILR School Buffalo Co-Lab with the generous support of the John R. Oishei Foundation and Western New York Women’s Foundation.

Data presented in the tools come from four sources:

1. The frequently-updated Child Care Regulated Programs dataset published by the New York State (NYS) Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS), available at: https://data.ny.gov/Human-Services/Child-Care-Regulated-Programs/cb42-qumz
2. A census tract-level classification of child care desert status produced by the NYS Council on Children and Families (CCF). More information on CCF desert classifications are available at: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/deserts/
3. Data-Axle’s comprehensive dataset on U.S. businesses: https://www.data-axle.com/our-data/business-data/
4. Census block-level job count data from the U.S. Census Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Origin-Destination Employment Statistics program: https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/

The interactive mapping application found on the homepage of this website features a Child Care Providers layer that is updated monthly. The “Find Child Care” mapping application, by contrast, is updated in real time, as NYS OCFS makes changes to its Child Care Regulated Programs dataset.