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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.

  1. The United States economy loses an estimated $122 billion a year due to child care challenges.
  2. 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.
  3.  77% of small business leaders say access to high-quality, affordable child care is essential or important to strengthening the economy and helping workers.
  4. Investments in high-quality child care and early learning programs can generate up to $7.30 per every dollar invested.
  5. The availability of early childhood education programs attracts homebuyers and increases property values by $13 for every dollar invested in programs.

Learn more:

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South Carolina: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Rhode Island: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Pennsylvania: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Oregon: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Oklahoma: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Ohio: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

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 …

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Releases Reopening Guidance for Child Care Providers

May 26, 2020

Earlier this week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated and expanded interim guidance as more child care providers begin reopening. This follows guidance from April for …

News

Sens. Ernst and Loeffler Call for $25 Billion in Child Care Relief Funding

May 21, 2020

WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) offered a resolution in the Senate calling for the next COVID-19 relief package to include $25 billion in …

News

Lawmakers Seek to Save Child Care Industry through Dedicated Federal Relief

May 19, 2020

Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) and dozens of members of the U.S. House of Representatives have written a letter urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to provide additional …

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Lawmakers and Advocates Call for Child Care Relief as States Face Shortages

May 19, 2020

Child care providers across the country, many of whom were already struggling to stay open before this crisis, are facing even greater challenges as enrollment declines exponentially due to the …

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Child Care in the House’s Most Recent COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Package

May 15, 2020

The House recently passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (the HEROES Act), a $3 trillion economic stimulus package introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which …

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Survey: Only 1/4 of Child Care Providers Received PPP Funds

May 14, 2020

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) released the findings of a recent follow-up survey of child care providers who applied for relief under the Paycheck Protection …

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