Why Businesses Should Care about Child Care & Early Education
September 5, 2023
In St. Clair County alone, there are 11,449 more children than there are spots available in licensed child care centers. This gap makes it incredibly difficult for parents and caregivers to work; in fact, a parent on our Family Council shared, “We made the decision to work opposite shifts and pass our daughter back and forth just to make it by. My boyfriend and I would pick up night shifts with Uber Eats to make extra money. Even with all of this, we still lost our housing and had to move back in with my grandmother.”
Stories like the one above have been shared with our local staff many times, with families and caregivers noting that the cost of care for their child exceeds their take-home pay, yet early childhood educator wages are extremely low. As an organization, Birth to Five Illinois is committed to amplifying the voices of parents, families, caregivers, Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) providers, and other community stakeholders (such as yourself) from St. Clair County in the state policy-making process and giving local leaders like you a more accurate understanding of the impact of the early childhood gaps in our Region.
Our recently released report, the www.birthtofiveil.com/region50/#report, presents data on, and family experiences with, ECEC in St. Clair County. We sought to understand the service delivery gaps in our Region and create recommendations for what St. Clair County can do to close those gaps in services, programs, and resources to better support families and caregivers. In part, we wish to engage community stakeholders, such as our local businesses, to understand better how the lack of ECEC impacts the return of caregivers to the workforce and the overall health of the economy in Belleville and beyond.
We know that the lack of high-quality care is an issue for more than just the families who seek it.. It also creates problems for businesses and society in general! A recent article in USA TODAY, “Why Small Businesses Should Offer Child Care Solutions” discussed how the lack of available child care is significantly impacting businesses.
Reduces the labor force. The lack of affordable child care pushes workers – especially women – out of the workforce, making it harder for businesses to find and keep qualified workers.
Reduces new business formation. Many women who would like to work or to start their own businesses cannot do so because of the lack of affordable child care.
Reduces women’s earning capacity. Women who step out of the workforce or reduce their hours to take care of children significantly lessen their lifetime earning capacity and reduce their retirement savings and security.
Increases absenteeism. When child care arrangements fall through, workers must stay home.
Creates worker stress. When employees are worried about the quality of their child care or how they are going to afford it, their minds are not focused on their job.
Economist James Heckman demonstrated that every dollar invested in quality ECEC can yield a return on investment between $4 and $16 dollars. To that end, we invite you all to read our Early Childhood Regional Needs Assessment, share our infographic, and reach out to the Region 50: St. Clair County team to become more involved.
Assessment - www.birthtofiveil.com/region50/#report
Tell Your Story - www.birthtofiveil.com/storytelling
Newsletter - www.birthtofiveil.com/region50/#subscribe
Facebook Group - www.facebook.com/groups/birthtofiveilregion50