Center for Community Studies Completes a Central and Northern New York Study of Childcare Needs and Challenges

The Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College (JCC) completed a public opinion and behavior survey research study of childcare issues in the region.  The opinions, choices, costs, importances, needs, satisfactions, preferences, and employment and economic impacts upon these groups have been studied and analyzed. 

The Center partnered with childcare experts and leaders in all of Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and St. Lawrence Counties in developing the study survey instrument and sampling methodologies used in this study.  Not only were employment and economic impacts on current parents investigated, the employment and economic impacts on adults who are providing free childcare to family and close friends was studied as well.

To best represent adults in the region a random sample of 2,562 adult residents were surveyed from the four-county region between March 31 – April 11, 2026.  To adequately represent the subgroup of parents of children aged 12 and under to facilitate county-specific analyses, further sampling of parents was completed through May 1^st, and resulted with a total of 623 parents of children aged 12 or under participating in the research. 

View the topline study summary. Cross-tabulated results will be available on our website at a later date. in the coming North Country residents who wish to learn more about this study or further discuss the findings are encouraged to contact Mr. Joel LaLone, Director at the Center for Community Studies, at jlalone@sunyjefferson.edu.

This study was funded by the generous contributions of the Northern New York Community Foundation, Jefferson Community College, Development Authority of North Country, CarFreshner, and the Boards of Legislature of both Jefferson and Lewis Counties.