Chamber of Commerce Foundation Highlights the Impact of COVID-19 on Child Care

The ongoing challenges of the child care industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic have had a major impact for families in communities all across the country. A new report, Childcare Providers: An Essential Industry for Economic Recovery, from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation highlights the challenges faced by the industry and long-term effects these challenges will have on communities.

This report focuses on three groups who are directly impacted by a shortage of quality, affordable child care and would reap the benefits of additional support for this essential workforce.

The Child Care Industry

Due to increased operating expenses and decreased enrollment as a result of the pandemic, child care providers have been struggling to keep their businesses afloat. “In the spring of 2020, many child care providers closed their programs to follow public health guidance, leading to lost revenue for weeks and months at a time.” 

Parents

Working families depend on reliable access to child care to be able to work. Without the support of providers, many parents may have to leave the workforce entirely when they otherwise would not. The Chamber Foundation surveyed working parents from across the country to better understand the impact that childcare has on their ability to return to work.

Employers

Without access to child care facilities that working families usually rely on, many parents have been unable to return to work. This has led some parents to leave the workforce entirely.

The full report can be found here.