Topline Report Findings from 2023: $6.65 BILLION, The Growing Cost of Pennsylvania's Child Care Crisis, and The High Cost of Work in Early Childhood Education (A workforce on the brink of collapse).
Understanding how child care costs factor in to your employees' household budget and other expenses, can help you to better understand the wage level and benefits that would allow them to support their family's needs.
When businesses invest in child care, they see results. Parents who have access to high-quality care are more productive, and businesses that offer child care and family-friendly policies are better able to attract and retain talent.
Having a better understanding of the early learning needs in your community, can help to address the need for affordable, quality early childhood care and education for all children in Pennsylvania.
According to the United Way of Pennsylvania, roughly one in three families are financially strained working families known as ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).
Small businesses can make a big difference simply by understanding what resources exist for their working families with young children and making that information readily available.
Early childhood educators are the workforce behind the workforce. However, child care providers in Pennsylvania earn less than $13 an hour.
Pennsylvania's child care crisis now carries a $6.65B yearly price tag, driven by parent absences, employer productivity loss, and long-term impacts on children. High costs, limited access, and quality shortages leave families struggling and employers unable to rely on a stable workforce.