High Cost of Child Care Pushes Many Mothers Out of the Workforce

As of 2022, the United States is facing a child care crisis, with high-quality programs being prohibitively expensive and government assistance limited. This crisis has forced many families, particularly mothers, to make difficult decisions about their careers and financial stability. Many working mothers, such as Nicole Slemp and Jane Roberts, have had to grapple with the challenges of finding affordable and quality child care. For Slemp, the cost of child care outweighed her salary, leaving her with no choice but to quit her job. Similarly, Roberts, a teacher, had to exhaust her sick leave and personal days to care for her child, ultimately leading to financial strain and a decision to leave her teaching career.

Impact on Employment Rates

Statistics reveal that more than 1 in 10 young children had a parent who had to quit, turn down, or drastically change a job due to child care problems in the previous year. This burden falls heavily on mothers, leading to a gap in employment rates between mothers with a four-year degree and those without. The lack of affordable child care options has resulted in many mothers facing financial distress, pushing them off career tracks and robbing them of a sense of purpose.

Even for those with college degrees, the high cost of child care has disrupted their careers. The Department of Health and Human Services defines "affordable" child care as an arrangement that costs no more than 7% of a household budget. However, for many families, finding such affordable care remains a significant challenge. The financial strain has led some parents to resort to borrowing money against life insurance policies, taking on additional work, and even filing for bankruptcy.

The child care crisis has not only taken a financial toll but also an emotional and physical one. Parents, particularly mothers, have reported feeling defeated, disoriented, and experiencing health issues such as panic attacks due to the stress of balancing work and child care responsibilities.

Time and Energy Drain

Searching for affordable and quality child care consumes significant amounts of time and energy for parents, as evidenced by Daizha Rioland's experience. Rioland's quest for suitable child care involved long waiting lists and high tuition costs, ultimately requiring the support of her parents to care for her child. Mothers like Slemp have called attention to the lack of support for working parents, emphasizing the need for policies and programs that address the child care crisis. They argue that the current system hinders their ability to provide for their children and maintain their careers.

This report includes contributions from Carly Flandro of Idaho Education News, Valeria Olivares of The Dallas Morning News, and Alaina Bookman of AL.com. The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations, and AP is solely responsible for all content.