The New Parent Study explores the changing nature of parental demand for infant-toddler care in the District of Columbia, particularly in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Declining birth rates, movement of families with young children out of the District, and historically low enrollment rates in licensed child care programs have prompted a question for DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education, child care program directors, and researchers alike: What types of child care do parents of “pandemic babies” want? “Pandemic babies” were born during an unprecedented time when pregnant people faced tremendous concerns about their health and safety. Our work explores how the pandemic has shaped first-time parents’ views on health and safety, their concerns about group care settings, and their child care plans, preferences, and priorities. Our study will involve: a survey of first-time parents of infants under 12 months; in-depth interviews with new parents of infants; analyses of American Community Survey data to estimate potential child care demand in distinct DC communities; analyses of child care licensing data on infant care supply and quality. Beginning in 2022, the New Parent study aims to provide timely evidence to help child care administrators and program directors build child care supply, meet families’ needs, and foster children’s growth and development under unprecedented circumstances. (author abstract)