Why is child care so expensive and what can be done about worker shortage| Marti Bledsoe
[ad_1]
First Lady Jill Biden’s visit on July 12 was a testament to the region’s investment in workforce development and job creation, resulting in Columbus being recognized in May as one of five U.S. “Workforce Hub” cities by the Biden administration.
However, one critical element has been missing in Ohio’s workforce discussions and celebratory events: child care.
How can we continue our economic recovery as a state if we don’t address the critical shortage of providers who literally create “the workforce behind the workforce”? The short answer is: we can’t.
More:‘A job is more than a paycheck’: Jill Biden celebrates Columbus launch as workforce hub
Ohio is at a 22-year low for childcare workers (12,849 across the state), according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; this is around half the number of workers from the peak year of 2005.
Access to high-quality, affordable childcare is a significant factor in parents’ ability to attend critical skill-based training programs, focus on the job search and interview process, and then step into full-time employment.
And the problem doesn’t stop there. Children who don’t have access to quality preschool programming are less prepared for kindergarten and more likely to struggle as they enter school, which in turn demands more time and advocacy from their busy working parents to support their needs.
More:7 in 10 parents worry about kids’ mental health. Resolving the crisis is crucial. |Opinion
Groundwork Ohio, a non-partisan policy research and advocacy group, reports 52 percent of parents said affording and accessing quality child care has become more difficult in the last year, according to a recent story in the Dayton Daily News.
At Work Family Balance, a not-for-profit organization on whose board I have the honor to sit, we believe that in addition to funding for workforce development, we need our members of Congress and community leaders to support and seek federal funding to address the high cost of child care and the child care worker shortage.
Opinion:Ohio’s inequitable child care system is built on underpaid Black women. Fixed it
In fact, without timely action by Congress, millions of dollars in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan will expire Sept. 30, creating what some lawmakers are calling a looming “childcare cliff.”
More importantly, despite low wages for workers and a critical shortage of providers, child care costs for families continue to rise — the average annual cost of childcare is around $10,000 — and will keep rising if these benefits are allowed to expire.
That’s why we have created the Ohio Coalition for Work Family Balance, a diverse coalition of Ohioans, including working families in rural, urban, and suburban communities, small and large businesses, and community organizations to effectively advocate for more family-friendly federal policies.
Working families and businesses make excellent partners and leaders for change because both are significantly affected by poor work life balance.
Provider:I was paid just $45.46 for 3 months I cared for 5 children. Ohio must do better
We look forward to being part of the solutions, together with Ohio families and the businesses and partners that make Columbus a “Workforce Hub,” as we advance our mission to address poor work-life balance in the workforce and to increase working families’ health and development.
It’s a mission that makes sense for all Ohioans.
Marti Bledsoe is an Akron native residing in Hilliard, Ohio. She is a member of the Work Family Balance Board of Directors; the founder and CEO of a’parently, a consultancy dedicated to employers supporting working parents and caregivers; the author of Retrofit: The Playbook for Modern Moms; and the former executive director of On Our Sleeves: the Movement for Children’s Mental Health.
[ad_2]
Source link
