Daycare Cost in Kern County, CA

Childcare in Kern County, CA

Kern County, centered on Bakersfield in California's southern Central Valley, is home to 910,000 residents in a region defined by agriculture, oil and gas extraction, and a growing renewable energy sector. The county is one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world, and its oil fields in the western foothills are among the largest in California. Infant care averages around $12,792 per year, lower than coastal California but still a significant expense for the county's many moderate-income and agricultural worker families. Kern County has a young, predominantly Hispanic population, and bilingual Spanish-English childcare is essential for a large portion of families.

Finding Care

Bakersfield proper has a reasonable density of childcare centers, particularly in the northwest (Rosedale, Riverwalk) and southwest areas, though the supply of infant slots lags demand. The county's smaller agricultural communities — Delano, Wasco, McFarland, Lamont, and Arvin — have significant childcare deserts, with limited licensed options and high reliance on informal family care arrangements. Seasonal agricultural work patterns create uneven childcare demand, with peak need during planting and harvest seasons that may not align with standard program schedules.

Local Resources

Community Connection for Child Care (CCCC) serves as Kern County's CCR&R, providing referrals, subsidy navigation, and quality improvement support for providers. Kern County Head Start and Early Head Start, operated by Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK), is one of the largest Head Start programs in the Central Valley, with dozens of sites across Bakersfield and the surrounding agricultural communities. First 5 Kern funds family resource centers, quality improvement grants, and health and developmental screening programs throughout the county.