10 Surprising Facts About Child Care in the United States
How America’s Child Care Crisis Impacts Parents
Approximately 14.4 million children under the age of 5 have all available parents in the workforce.
Real Stories from Parents and Educators About the Child Care Crisis
Child Care Issue: Long Waitlists
I've heard stories from my friends about being on waitlists since before their baby was born. That's so crazy.
We are currently on 8 waitlists and waiting to hear back from one lottery. Some waitlists we have been on for a year or two years. We are paying double compared to 5 years ago with my daughter. I work in public schools and almost had to take a year off but we found a place last-minute and they kindly offered to open 15 minutes early to accommodate us. It is crazy.
Child Care Issue: Affordability
Why is child care so expensive?
I had to leave my pre-k teaching job because we couldn’t afford child care for a toddler and an infant when we expanded our family. Now I’m trying to return to the classroom and it’s next to impossible. We shouldn’t have to choose between career and family.
I had been working as a full time Early childhood teacher (4K) and took maternity leave. My center didn’t have an infant room. In order to pay for childcare, near my residence, I would have had to work full time and still would have had to pay for extended care. So I left the field of Early Childhood Education. 😣
Child Care Issue: Quality
What are the elements of quality care?
I’m a mom and pediatrician and I know VERY FEW people who feel that their child care situation is high-quality, affordable and convenient. You seem to have to take a hit in at least one of these categories—sometimes at the expense of the parent and other times at the expense of the child.
My son is 2.5. He started daycare at 10 months old and has been in five, yes five, different daycares since. From distance and affordability to low quality care that ended with him in the hospital for an ER visit, finding the right daycare has been a stressful journey that I wish upon no parent. Happy to share more sometime. We absolutely love where he is now and the effort to find the right place was worth it!
Child Care Issue: Workforce Training, Availability and Compensation
Early childhood education professionals face a myriad of challenges in their roles. They often work with limited resources and face high demands to meet diverse developmental needs of children. The profession is marked by low wages and limited job security, contributing to high turnover rates and difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified staff. Additionally, the emotional toll of providing care and education to young children, often from underserved or vulnerable populations, can lead to significant stress and burnout.
Navigating these challenges requires a strong support system, ongoing professional development, and policies that recognize and address the critical importance of early childhood education.
High quality early childhood programs can yield a $4 – $9 dollar return per $1 invested.
I am facing a lack of adequate training around babies with ASD. Also, I can’t afford to both buy groceries and pay my bills in full. I am so behind on my bills it is insane! And, I’m struggling to work with burnt out preschool teachers, all they do is yell at kids and remind them that they’re too old to cry. NO THEY AREN’T! It’s to the point I’m leaving the field next year when I finish my bachelors in social work.
The lack of inclusion programs in preschool that further isolates special needs children from their neurotypical peers is absolutely soul-crushing.
I was an early childhood center director for 4+ years, starting with COVID. It just hasn’t let up since. I don’t know how anyone can endure in this field. 😢
Help us make affordable, high-quality child care with well-compensated and supported staff a reality for families across the country.
Read More
