Childcare affordability and workforce retention

The question

When child care workers cannot afford care for their own children, who bears the cost of keeping them in the workforce?

Background

A study from Appalachian State University found that childcare workers earned an average of $30,600 a year, while the median monthly cost of childcare was $900. The source reports that staffing shortages can mean smaller classrooms, shorter hours, and reduced enrollment.

The read

The examples describe free childcare, a childcare assistance initiative, and a statewide approach funded by state dollars. The way childcare benefits are funded varies.