¡°3Educators are 4walking away. Parents and providers are 5desperate.¡±
6Lack of access to 7affordable, 8quality 9childcare.
¡°10Providers are paid 11poverty level wages, 12resulting in parents 13struggling to find and 14afford childcare, which results in their ability to work being 15impacted.¡±
The National Center for Education Statistics found some 59% of children five years old and younger 16acquired at least one day of nonparental care per week in 2019, per experts. Since the pandemic, 17demand has only increased along with the 18cost.
¡°The 19national average price of childcare was just shy of $11,000 last year.¡±
20Policy experts say the issue goes beyond family 21finances.
¡°A lack of 22investment in childcare for 23infants and 24toddlers alone cost our country $122 billion each year.¡±
25Lawmakers on 26Capitol Hill are taking notice.
¡°We have a broken and 27dysfunctional childcare system.¡±
¡°Childcare obviously is too expensive for those who need it.¡±
As 28advocates argue, everyone stands to 29benefit from investment in care and 30early childhood education.
¡°We often say childcare makes work work because people can't go to work if they don't have childcare, and the economy is 31significantlyimpacted.¡±
