New Report: Priorities of Early Childhood Providers in PA

Moms First - The Employee Benefits that Pays for Itself

New Report: Employing and Engaging Families with Young Children, 2024

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.

Why Does Child Care Cost So Much Yet Providers Make So Little?

It’s a common question. Why do parents spend so much on child care, yet early childhood teachers earn so little? The average cost of child care is out of reach for many families and rivals college tuition, while early educators are among the lowest paid workers in the country. How is this possible?
 

Learn More

Resources

View All

$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.

Download

Family Budget Calculator

EPI's Family Budget Calculator measures the income a family needs in order to attain a modest yet adequate standard of living.

View

Marketwatch Child Care Cost Calculator

View

Childcare Affordability in PA

Download

COVID-19 Pandemic Report: Child Care is Essential for Working Families and Businesses

View

Experiences of U.S. Households with Children During the Delta Variant Outbreak

Download

Working Families are Spending Big Money on Child Care

View

The Child Care Crisis Is Keeping Women Out of the Workforce

More mothers would increase their earnings and seek new job opportunities if they had greater access to reliable and affordable child care.

View