Why Offering Childcare Is Critical to Women’s Economic Recovery

Nearly 3 million women have left the labor force since the start of the pandemic, and one in four are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce. Among mothers who are considering downshifting or leaving, a majority cite childcare responsibilities as a primary reason. The reality is that for many working moms, it’s become impossible to balance work, caretaking, and overseeing their children’s remote schooling.

The implications of this are enormous: not only has women’s progress been set back decades, but the risk of mothers leaving the labor force and reducing work hours in order to assume caretaking responsibilities amounts to $64.5 billion per year in lost wages and economic activity. As I highlighted in my 2021 Workplace Trends , women will continue to experience setbacks if they do not receive more support—at the federal level, from employers, and within their own communities and families.

An outdated narrative underscored by the pandemic

The reasons behind women’s mass exodus from the workforce are threefold. First, there’s the ongoing lack of available childcare: about half of childcare providers closed when the pandemic first hit, some permanently. Second, the near-total shutdown of schools required parents—mostly mothers—to facilitate their children’s remote learning experience, a role that many of them never signed up for!

Third, there is still a longstanding belief that mothers should do most of the caretaking. Pre-Covid-19, women were already doing almost twice as much unpaid care?compared to men. However, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation: 40% of mothers report they are now doing 3 or more additional hours of caregiving a day, compared to 27% of men.?It’s no wonder that one out of four women who became unemployed during the pandemic said it was because of a lack of childcare—twice the rate among men.?

Within this new reality imposed by Covid-19, mothers who have remained employed—whether by choice or necessity—face a very real threat of burnout. One study of 440,000 working parents found that there is a 28% greater chance that working mothers will experience burnout than working fathers. And a USA Today analysis found that the number of women with childcare-related work absences more than doubled from 2019 to 2020.

Implications for public policy

The Center for American Progress estimates that up to 4.5 million childcare slots could be permanently lost due to the pandemic. Without congressional action, it will be impossible for women to return to the workforce. In July, the House passed the?Child Care Is Essential Act , which would set aside $50 billion to stabilize and strengthen America’s childcare system. Moving forward, Congress must build on smart legislative solutions, such as the Child Care for Working Families Act , to ensure all families can access high-quality and affordable childcare.

At the state level, Vermont is setting an example. Starting in March, Vermont spent $21 million to keep its childcare programs from going under. Both the state and parents paid for tuition; however, if parents couldn’t pay, the state would make up the difference. Meanwhile, President Biden’s plan ?for economic recovery from Covid-19 would provide similar funding to support childcare providers and workers.?

Implications for employers

U.S. workplace policies need to better prioritize working moms and especially women of color, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Many low-wage/frontline jobs are mostly performed by women, yet they typically lack family-friendly benefits. And according to a recent report , only 39% of employers say their current programs and policies designed to support working parents are effective. Fortunately, 79% of employers recognize the issue and say “support for parents” is a top benefit priority for them in 2021.

Some companies have responded by providing flexible scheduling or additional paid time off . Microsoft , for example, recently began offering parents up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for their children. Creating an employee resource group (ERG) for moms is another impactful way that organizations can help. CloudFlare has relied on feedback from its robust ERG to determine which benefits are most important to parents—for example, online classes and tutoring for their children, or offerings such as meal delivery.

However, more than anything else, parents need convenient and affordable childcare. With this in mind, many experts believe that onsite or subsidized childcare should become the norm rather than a job perk. Companies like Clif Bar, Aflac, and Goldman Sachs?have offered childcare benefits for years as part of their employee benefits package. Other employers are moving quickly to partner with providers that supply onsite care or backup care, a perk already offered by Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft.

Regaining control

For women who are balancing work with childcare or remote schooling responsibilities, it can feel like they have no control over the situation—and with no end in sight. It’s important not to be ashamed to ask for help, whether from family members, friends, community organizations, and most importantly, partners/spouses. Because working moms will continue to shoulder a greater share of the caretaking burden so long as their spouses fail to support them. Remember, there is a longstanding belief system at play here, and we all have a role to play in breaking it down, piece by piece.

Moms who have stepped away from their careers to raise their children may face a different set of challenges when they eventually return to the workforce. In my latest 5 Questions podcast , I sat down with Dana Perino, American political commentator, author, and former White House Press Secretary. I asked Dana for her advice to women on how they can rebound from the crisis and get back to work. She recommends that women start their own business or LLC while they take a hiatus. This will eliminate any big employment gaps in your resume, and it allows you to take on as many (or as few) projects as you want. There are also tax benefits, so it’s a win-win situation, all around.

A collective responsibility

To reverse the immense setbacks that women have suffered during the pandemic, significant action will be required at the federal level to strengthen the U.S. childcare system. However, employers also need to do their part to provide support for working parents. And everyone needs to embrace the idea that women can be successful in their careers while also raising a family. If action is taken quickly, there will be positive ripple effects for families, communities, businesses, and the economy.

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