Economy & Business
Child care is an integral pillar to supporting a thriving economy, with 27 million Americans relying on it to work. The national shortage of affordable child care programs is doing significant harm to family finances, businesses’ bottom lines, and the U.S. economy broadly.
Here are five things to know about child care and our economy.
- The United States economy loses an estimated $122 billion a year due to child care challenges.
- On average, businesses lose $1,640 a year for each working parent due to lost revenue and hiring costs because of insufficient child care, totaling $23 billion annually.
- 77% of small business leaders say access to high-quality, affordable child care is essential or important to strengthening the economy and helping workers.
- Investments in high-quality child care and early learning programs can generate up to $7.30 per every dollar invested.
- The availability of early childhood education programs attracts homebuyers and increases property values by $13 for every dollar invested in programs.
Learn more:
Posts
Primetime Coverage of America’s Child Care Dilemma from PBS NewsHour
Last week, in partnership with the Pritzker Children’s Initiative and the Stein Early Childhood Development Fund, PBS NewsHour aired a week-long the series, “Raising the Future: America’s child care dilemma,” …
New Data Reveals Lasting, Intergenerational Benefits of Early Learning Programs in Children 50 Years Later
A research team from the University of Chicago, which includes Nobel Prize-winning economist James J. Heckman, released the results of new analysis from an ongoing study of the Perry Preschool …
President Biden Highlights Opportunity to “Build Back Better” Through Investments in Early Learning and Care
Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden traveled to Crystal Lake, Illinois, where he visited McHenry County College to highlight his administration’s “Build Back Better” plan, including his proposal for a significant, …
Our Child Care System Is Not Meeting The Needs Of Families, Providers, or The Economy
Now is the time to build a system of early care and education that works. Finding and affording quality child care and early learning options shouldn’t be the reason parents …
As America Recovers from the Pandemic, Data Shows Child Care Remains a Major Challenge for Working Parents
The results of a new Care.com survey reveal that finding and affording quality child care remains a major hurdle for working parents, and the pandemic only made things worse. Key …
FFYF’S Sarah Rittling Joins ‘Engage for Women’ Co-Founder to Discuss Opportunities for Progress on Child Care & Early Learning
This week, FFYF Executive Director Sarah Rittling joined Engage for Women, a bipartisan organization that seeks to promote women’s economic security, to discuss the opportunity to build a child care …
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Calls for Greater Support and Investments for Child Care to Spur Economic Recovery
America’s economic success will depend on a high-quality, affordable child care system that allows parents to enter, re-enter, and stay in the workforce. Underscoring just how important child care is to …
Kansas — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Iowa — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Indiana — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Illinois — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
