The Child Care Crisis Is Keeping Women Out of the Workforce
By Leila Schochet (Center for American Progress)
Today, many families with young children must make a choice between spending a significant portion of their income on child care, finding a cheaper, but
potentially lower-quality care option, or leaving the workforce altogether to become a full-time caregiver. Whether due to high cost, limited availability,
or inconvenient program hours, child care challenges are driving parents, particularly mothers, out of the workforce at an alarming rate. In fact,
mothers are 40% more likely than fathers to say that they have personally felt the negative impact of child care issues on their careers.
potentially lower-quality care option, or leaving the workforce altogether to become a full-time caregiver. Whether due to high cost, limited availability,
or inconvenient program hours, child care challenges are driving parents, particularly mothers, out of the workforce at an alarming rate. In fact,
mothers are 40% more likely than fathers to say that they have personally felt the negative impact of child care issues on their careers.
This report highlights the relationship between child care access and maternal employment, finding that employment among mothers decreases by 12 percentage points
when their family is unable to find child care
when their family is unable to find child care
The current child care system in the United States is broken. The United States must prioritize the needs of millions of working families and take steps
to keep mothers in the workforce through investing in policies to support access to affordable, quality child care. New findings reveal that having
greater access to child care would enable more mothers to seek employment and take steps to increase their earnings. Child care must be central to
any policy effort to promote gender equity, grow the nation’s workforce, and bolster the economy.
to keep mothers in the workforce through investing in policies to support access to affordable, quality child care. New findings reveal that having
greater access to child care would enable more mothers to seek employment and take steps to increase their earnings. Child care must be central to
any policy effort to promote gender equity, grow the nation’s workforce, and bolster the economy.