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
States Lose Billions in Economic Activity from Child Care Breakdowns
The past year has brought on an increased awareness of the importance of child care to the economy. But even before the pandemic, families struggled to find and afford high-quality …
A Month Full of Major Developments for Early Learning & Care in Washington
Over the course of the past month, there has been unprecedented attention – and action – on child care and early learning in our nation’s capital. With the introduction of …
Vice President Harris Announces $39 Billion in Child Care Relief Going to States
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the Administration would be releasing $39 billion in COVID-19 relief funds for the child care industry that passed as part of the American …
Report Details Long-Term Impact of Child Care Shortages on Parental Workforce Participation
A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco found that the profound lack of child care support and flexibility may have long-lasting effects on the decisions of …
New White Paper Identifies Strategies to Expand the Early Learning Talent Pool
In January, Bellwether Education Partners, the National Head Start Association, and the HeadStarter Network released its new white paper, Broader, Deeper, Fairer: Five Strategies to Radically Expand the Talent Pool …
Child Care is Infrastructure Act Introduced in House
In an effort to bolster funding for the child care industry to provide the highest quality care to our nation’s youngest learners, Congresswoman Katherine Clark (D-MA) introduced the Child Care …
Following Senate Passage, American Rescue Plan with $39 Billion in Child Care Relief Poised to Become Law
WASHINGTON – Moments ago, the Senate voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, a sweeping pandemic relief package with $39 billion in child care relief funding, including $15 billion for …
Biden Executive Order to Support the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Early Childhood Education Providers
In January, President Biden issued an executive order (E.O.) to support the safe reopening and continued operation of schools, child care providers, Head Start programs, and institutions of higher education. …
New Report Offers Recommendations for Dismantling Systemic Racism in Early Care and Education
A core element of addressing the systemic racism that exists in this country must be reforming the institutions, laws, and policies that disproportionately disadvantage people of color, and also creating …
FFYF’s Blueprint for Progress
Across the political spectrum, voters and policymakers recognize the importance of investing in policy solutions that support healthy development in children, beginning at birth, while allowing working parents to pursue …
John Legend: Invest in Early Childhood Education
John Legend knows that legends can come from anywhere. They all start in the same place: with a dream and a chance to make that dream come true. High-quality early …
