The Childcare Crisis
by Andrew Downing
Pre-pandemic, it was hard to believe that finding reliable childcare could have changed for the worse, but post-pandemic, it has become a nightmare. Covid 19 disrupted a system already teetering on the edge of adequacy, creating the perfect storm for a childcare crisis.
During the initial response in 2020, California state regulations forced many centers to temporarily close or reduce their enrollment. This decreased the demand for childcare workers, who were already underpaid. According to Salary.com, the nationwide median income for teachers working at a Child Care Center is $35,166, while the median income for kindergarten teachers is $60,357 (undervalued compared to their counterparts). This is mainly due to the difference in funding, as most childcare centers are privately funded and heavily rely on revenues from tuitions. California provides some assistance to childcare centers that serve low-income populations, but it's far from adequate. As enrollments were reduced, many teachers left the industry to find work elsewhere. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from February-April 2020, California's childcare industry lost more than 27,000 workers (out of 117,000 total workers*). Many of those early childhood educators have now returned, but the workforce is still down 10% from pre-pandemic levels. The current pay and conditions within the industry do not support the idea of a full resurgence, a major problem that will need to be addressed in the years to come.
In the San Diego area, when looking to get our one-year-old daughter enrolled in daycare, we found that tuitions ranged from 1,200 per month to 2,500 per month, depending on the type of facility, teacher-to-student ratios, and accreditations. If you want your child to attend a childcare facility that carries an official accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children or Montessori (two of the most prestigious accreditations), you should expect the tuition to be in the 2,000-2,500 range. These costs are forcing families to make some tough decisions, and, unfortunately, those decisions are disproportionately affecting women in the workplace.
The statistics are startling. In April of 2021, the Harvard Business Review** reported that only 30% of families had a plan for backup care (mostly relying on friends and family), and about 20% of parents were forced to stop working or reduce their hours due to childcare. Whether their choices were based on incomes, convenience/flexibility, or family preference, 26% of the women that left the workforce during the pandemic cited childcare as the main reason.
The current childcare landscape may not last, but the future implications are dire. If we want a world where 50% of the leadership positions are held by women, then we must put more emphasis on protecting the "pipeline" of future leaders. The demand for women in leadership has not diminished, but the demand isn't important. What matters is the number of women that had to drop out of the workforce, who will now be competing for future leadership positions with less experience. And even though I believe time spent as a primary caregiver can increase a leader's abilities to empathize and manage tasks, most employers will not agree.
Certainly, we have a long way to go. The pandemic did not create the problems; it illuminated obstacles that were already there. Recent generations have made a lot of progress, but the pandemic has revealed that the old gender roles are still in place. There are many steps we need to take to make progress. Men need to step up and take a bigger role in childcare responsibilities, which starts before birth. Our society already forces women to think about childcare long before they start the family planning process, and men must take part in that pre-planning conversation. If we want to reform our childcare system, men need to be invested in the outcome as much as women.
To paraphrase one of my favorite proverbs, nobody can reach the top of a mountain in one leap. Progress is achieved through steady climbing. The number of steps is in the thousands, the path is steep, and it takes a long time. But we must do what we can, one step at a time, and remember the spectacular view we'll see from the top.
As leaders, we must do our part. The conversations are not going to be easy, but we must focus on our shared goal - the prosperity of everyone. Talk to your significant other about sharing household duties. If you are in a position to make hiring decisions, do not discount childcare experience. And finally, everyone reading this should take a sincere interest in the development of young children. Resiliency, self-control, emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and empathy are all rooted in early experiences. I believe that if everyone understood how these critical skills are developed, we would treat caregivers with more respect and find creative ways to provide them with more resources. Early childhood education is the foundation for future generations, and we'll all be better off if our society understands the importance of investing in that future. That's what leaders are supposed to do - make the world a better place for the next generation.
* https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/states/california/