Despite a multitude of job opportunities, young mothers, especially, are not joining the workforce because of a lack of childcare options.
About one in 10 child care workers have not returned to their jobs since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, which forced many centers to temporarily close across the country.
Though men continue to take a larger role in caring for their children, women remain the primary caregiver, according to the Labor Department.
Those affected most by the downturn in child care opportunities are unmarried women without college degrees.
That’s no surprise.
Higher education is the ticket to higher wages.
The annual cost of child care is $10,174, more than 35% of the median income for a single parent. To put that into context, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that parents spend no more than 7% of their household income on child care.
For low-income earners, many must decide whether it’s worth having a job if so much is going toward child care.
Those who work as caregivers know their situation. The national average salary for a child care worker is $24,000; in Kansas, not quite $19,000, just a tad more than $9 an hour.
In a tight job market with 2.3% unemployment, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is aware those low wages for such valuable jobs aren’t going to cut it.
To that end, in June she announced the distribution of $53 million in federal funds to serve as bonuses for 22,000 child care workers at licensed facilities in Kansas.
The employees are to receive one-time payments between $750 and $2,500, depending on the number of hours they work.
This is on top of $160 million in federal monies administered early this year to help child care providers with operating costs, payroll expenses and revenue losses due to the pandemic. States have until 2023 to spend $24 billion in child care business grants and until 2024 to spend $15 billion in child care subsidy dollars. A wide range of providers can apply for the business grants, which can be used for rent, wages, equipment and other operating expenses.
“Child care providers have faced unbelievable challenges during the last two-and-a-half years,” Kelly said. “Yet they’ve continued to fulfill their critical role in caring for kids. Their work is essential to the social and economic well-being of our state.”
Licensed day care centers that offer early childhood development programs are of immense value to society.
“They’re the smartest investment a community can make in its future,” Kelly said at the June 21 announcement of the bonuses.
