Childcare Waitlists

Parents seeking childcare often face long waitlists. At the same time, vacancies at childcare centers can remain unfilled for extended periods. We trace this paradox to two persistent features of childcare services. First, families consider multiple child care options due to enrollment uncertainties, resulting in phantom listings that remain on waitlists even after families have found care elsewhere or no longer need a slot. Second, filling a slot is time-consuming: centers learn whether a family is actively seeking enrollment only after making an offer and waiting for a response. As families pursue alternatives while they wait and their children age, these delays and feedback effects amplify the mismatch between demand and available capacity. We study two operational remedies. First, we examine regular verification that removes phantom listings before offers are made, improving the efficiency of enrollment and reducing vacancies. Second, we study mixed-age classrooms, in which some slots designated for older children can be flexibly used by younger children. This flexibility increases utilization, shortens waits, and reduces wasted offers. Its benefits extend beyond conventional pooling: as children move between age groups, classrooms can be filled through internal flows rather than costly external search, further reducing enrollment delays. Together, verification and mixed use offer a way to expand effective capacity in early childhood classrooms, where regulatory and operational constraints make adding physical capacity particularly costly.