Impact on Working Families
Child Care Helps Families Work
As parents struggle to balance work and family obligations, employers are losing out. Even when parents are able to stay employed, child-care breakdowns take a toll on attendance and thus business productivity and customer service.And right now, child care is expensive and hard to find, and it is forcing parents and caregivers – especially mothers – to cut back on work or leave the workforce.
- One in three U.S. families across the country reports difficulty finding child care.
- Even when child care is available, many parents find that child care expenses consume most of their paycheck. In PA, infant care costs an average of $11,800 per year – eight percent more than the average rent.
- Low-income families spend more than one-third of their income on child care.
- 45% of Pennsylvania’s working families with children have had to adjust their work to accommodate their family’s need for child care during the pandemic.
- Mothers disproportionately take on unpaid caregiving responsibilities when their family cannot find or afford child care. Millions of women who had to leave the workforce during the pandemic have yet to return in large part because of childcare needs.
Why Does Child Care Cost So Much Yet Providers Make So Little?
Resources
$2.4 Billion: The Annual Cost of PA's Child Care Crisis for Working Mothers
ReadyNation and the Council for a Strong America's "2.4 Billion: The Annual Cost of PA's Child Care Crisis for Working Mothers" details the amount lost in earnings, productivity, and tax revenue due to gaps in the child care system.
Family Budget Calculator
Get a clearer picture of economic security in your area. The Family Budget Calculator details the income families need to cover essentials like child care, housing, food, and health care for 10 family types across every county and metro region.
Marketwatch Child Care Cost Calculator
The rising cost of childcare is making life impossible for parents. Use the MarketWatch calculator to track the expense where you live.
Child care Affordability in PA
Pennsylvania families face some of the nation's toughest child-care costs. Infant care in centers tops $12K a year, far exceeding the federal affordability standard and often outpacing housing or tuition bills.
COVID-19 Pandemic Report: Child Care is Essential for Working Families and Businesses
Learn how limited child care during the pandemic forced many PA families to reduce hours or leave jobs—and how employers felt the impact. This report outlines key survey findings and the growing need for child-care support in the workplace.
Experiences of U.S. Households with Children During the Delta Variant Outbreak
This report summarizes a 2021 national survey of households with children, revealing high rates of lost savings, trouble paying for basics and rent, difficulty accessing child care and preschool, significant learning loss, and rising anxiety and stress among kids during the COVID-19 delta wave.
Working Families are Spending Big Money on Child Care
Child care is consuming a growing share of family income. Low-income working parents spend more than one-third of what they earn, and many juggle multiple care arrangements. This brief explains why costs are rising and who is most affected.
The Child Care Crisis Is Keeping Women Out of the Workforce
Child care challenges are forcing millions of mothers to cut hours, turn down promotions, or leave their jobs entirely. Using national survey data, this report shows how better access to reliable, affordable child care would boost women's employment, family income, and the overall economy.