Imaginable Futures’ Post

A recent study commissioned by King County Best Starts for Kids and the City of Seattle sheds light on the staggering cost of child care. One of their many findings reveals that for families in King County and Seattle, the cost of infant care in a child care center consumes about 35% of the median household income. This figure stands in stark contrast to the federal Administration for Children and Families' recommendation that child care should not exceed 7% of household income. This data underscores a critical affordability crisis, putting immense financial pressure on families and highlighting the urgent need for systemic solutions. As professionals and community members, we must advocate for policies that support accessible and affordable child care. Ensuring that families have access to quality child care is not just a matter of economic stability but a foundational investment in our future generations. Let's come together to address this challenge and work towards a future where quality child care is within reach for every family. #ChildCareCrisis #AffordableChildCare #InvestInFamilies #KingCounty #Seattle"

A new brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families examines Hispanic families’ weekly out-of-pocket child care costs as a proportion of their household income and compares this to the federal guidelines for affordable child care. It looks at whether child care affordability varies by three features of families’ care arrangements and across three potential drivers of child care costs. The brief finds that while many Hispanic households with low incomes used no-cost child care, those who paid out-of-pocket tended to face very high costs. These findings suggest a need for sustained and varied investments to support affordable child care access for Hispanic families with low incomes. Learn more about the affordability of child care in this report: https://buff.ly/3RcQFVo Julia Mendez Smith Danielle Crosby Christina Stephens, PhD https://lnkd.in/efEQC5nW

The Child Care Cliff: A Looming Crisis As federal pandemic funding nears its end this September, over 3 million children - a third of those in child care - face the risk of losing their spots. This could force countless parents to leave the workforce, exacerbating inequalities and perpetuating a cycle of poverty. Learn about the far-reaching consequences and the urgent need for comprehensive solutions in our latest blog. ⬇️

I'm excited to share a new article I co-authored with my CT colleagues! Please check it out! This study used an interrupted time series analysis (ITSA) to describe changes to providers’ participation in Maryland's child care subsidy program following implementation of a constellation of child care policies enacted between January 5, 2015, and March 2, 2020 (i.e., prior to the COVID-19 pandemic). Findings indicate a marked increase in the percentage of licensed family child care (FCC) and center-based providers serving children with a subsidy following increases in household income eligibility levels and provider reimbursement rates in 2018. Provider participation rates varied by neighborhood income level, with participation expanding more in neighborhoods with lower poverty density relative to their starting level in 2015.  https://lnkd.in/eqRz9cyU

In the fall of 2023, I had the opportunity to take part in the Real Report that Louisiana Tech University College of Business publishes each quarter. In this report I gave insight into the child care cliff and how this would affect Louisiana's economy. It might be surprising, but this child care crisis does not only affect families, but will hurt other areas of Louisiana's economy as well. Since the fall, we have started to see some states enact policy to provide help to the child care centers, and other states have avoided the issue. It has been intriguing to observe the initial impacts of the child care crisis on states that have opted not to offer assistance to child care centers.If you want to read the Fall 2023 Real Report, click on this link: https://lnkd.in/gj36yVMR

State Data: Child Care Now Unaffordable for Majority of Families - The 74: ... Big Picture · The 74 Interview · Weaving a Stronger Society · Union Report ... State Data: Child Care Now Unaffordable for Majority of Families. Child ... #bigdata #cdo #cto

According to Child Care Aware, families pay between $11,492-$15,288 for a year of infant ECCE services, depending on setting (home- vs. center-based). Families pay slightly less for a year of toddler ECCE services, ranging from $11,024-$14,144.19 In comparison, the average cost of tuition and fees at a 4-year college in Virginia is $13,902.

"We know inadequate child care is an economic issue, costing states, families and businesses billions of dollars every year. We know it’s a gender issue that contributes to a widening pay gap. We know it’s a policy issue, made worse by the absences of a federal pre-K program and a federal paid-leave policy. But here is another critical consideration worth pushing for: Our country’s inadequate child care system is also a health care issue." Don't miss @Molly Dickens PhD and Lucy Hutner's important piece on the impact of child care-related stress on the health and well-being of parents. https://nyti.ms/47FoMv1

Do you care about child care? Let your legislators know! North Carolinians see a child care crisis—and it is negatively impacting the state’s economy. The federal child care stabilization funding has ended, and the crisis is likely to worsen. A 2023 statewide survey of North Carolina voters commissioned by the NC Chamber Foundation shows: · North Carolinians are experiencing a child care crisis that is hurting families and making it hard for businesses to hire employees and grow. · 79% of North Carolinians agree that quality, affordable child care is important to strengthen the economy and help workers provide for their families · And 80% agree that North Carolina should invest in solutions to help with the lack of child care Want to learn more about this important topic? Visit https://lnkd.in/eAQVYV5Z

What we're watching: a special report examining the #childcarecrisis in the U.S., highlighting everything from the workforce challenges faced by child care centers, how parents managed with limited care during the height of the pandemic, and how some states are stepping up to support children and families in their state. https://ow.ly/YEv850PIuvp