Lack of child care is impacting business’ bottom line

We can’t afford to keep going this way. A new approach is needed to expand and support early care and education so working families—and their employers—don’t have to shoulder the costs alone.

Lack of child care is impacting business’ bottom line

We can’t afford to keep going this way. A new approach is needed to expand and support early care and education so working families—and their employers—don’t have to shoulder the costs alone.

We are engaging industry leaders across the state—from the Coast to the Columbia Basin—to advocate for comprehensive solutions to the child care system.
 
Washington STEM supports cradle-to-career education starting with early learning and care, which research has shown is crucial for students aiming for high-demand STEM careers.
 

 

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Become a Champion for Child Care

 


1. Know your data:

Our State of the Children reports and dashboard capture regional demographics of children in our state and availability of child care as well as economic impact.

2. Get involved:


3. Get informed:


 

Business benefits from stable child care:

Increased productivity: Each year, Washington businesses suffer $2.8B in lost productivity due to employee’s lack of child care (Nationwide $122B/year.). Altogether,
Washington businesses lose an estimated $5 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue due to employee child care issues.

Stable reliable workforce: One-third of workers quit their job, school, or training due to child care issues. Access to child care lowers worker absenteeism and turnover.

Foundation for a STEM-ready workforce: Investing in quality early care and education is the foundation of a strong education to workforce pipeline.

 

What’s at stake:

 

U.S. lags behind in early learning:

For decades, the U.S. has lagged far behind other nations’ spending in early learning. A comprehensive early learning system will improve education outcomes, lower youth incarceration rates and better health outcomes.

Shift workers and small/medium businesses left out:

Employer-sponsored onsite child care centers only reach a sliver of the workforce and can go away overnight, leaving workers stranded. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. businesses have less than 10 workers, many of whom rely on shift work during non-standard hours, or work part-time or are freelance/gig workers. Employer-funded solutions are not viable options for these businesses.

Employers struggle to keep their workforce:

Three-fourths of employees report difficulty finding child care in their areas. Ready Nation and Child Care Aware of Washington reported that businesses suffered $2.8B in lost productivity due to employee’s lack of child care. Nationwide, these costs to business have doubled since the pandemic to an astounding $122B/year.

 

Advocate for comprehensive child care solutions in 2025:

 
In 2024-25 we’ll host virtual industry-centered convenings to support making real changes to our child care system.

This starts with having conversations with employers and businesses about the realities of managing a workforce struggling to find child care.

Join us and become a child care champion and we’ll also provide opportunities for you and your business to advocate for broader solutions.
 

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