CBS MoneyWatch Highlights “The workforce that drives the workforce”

In February, CBS News released an article highlighting that early child care educators earn poverty level wages across the country. However, without child care providers, many working parents would be unable to contribute to the workforce. The article quoted many experts from different fields in support of providing infrastructure and increased federal funding to alleviate the child care crisis. From a business perspective, David Merage recognizes the importance of supporting working parents in finding a solution to the child care crisis and therefore, retaining top talent for their companies.

“I want my employees to be happy so they are concentrated on work rather than worrying [about child care],”

Merage told Megan Cerullo, CBS reporter

The pandemic has exacerbated the crack of our current child care system, forcing many small child care homes and centers to close. With a lack of available child care, nearly three million women have left the workforce over the past year.

Advocates for child care reform are calling for universal child care that is federally funded. Instead of viewing the child care crisis as an issue for parent’s to solve, society should have an infrastructure, similar to that of building and maintaining roads, to provide child care.