Lack of Child Care Services Impacts Women’s Labor Participation 

April 27, 2022 by Alexa Hornbeck
Lack of Child Care Services Impacts Women’s Labor Participation 
An American childcare development center. (Airman 1st Class Hunter Brady)

The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss child care policy tools to combat bottlenecking and inflation, and why labor force participation for women in the United States is so low compared with other developed countries.

“We are talking about hundreds of millions of dollars that we are leaving on the table because we are not utilizing our workers to their maximum,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., during the hearing. 

According to Warren, U.S. labor force participation in women is lower than it was two decades ago, in part because of an inability to access child care services, with many areas of the country existing in child care deserts. 

Telling a personal story, Warren said she was forced to nearly quit school and her first full-time big job because she was unable to find child care, until she received support from a close aunt.

“It’s so critical we invest in affordable high-quality care for every child, with child care to unlock workforce capacity,” said Warren. 

Estimates presented during the hearing indicate that the U.S. is missing out on 5.2 million workers compared with other countries that provide child care assistance, and many of the women who need child care are below the age of 25.

Alexa can be reached at [email protected]

A+
a-

In The News

Health

Voting

Health

USDA Tells Producers to Reduce Salmonella in Certain Frozen Chicken Products

Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning... Read More

Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U.S. agriculture officials. When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be considered an adulterant — a contaminant... Read More

What Do Weight Loss Drugs Mean for a Diet Industry Built on Eating Less and Exercising More?

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds when he was in his 30s to as high as 220. He spent a decade tracking calories on WeightWatchers, but the pounds he dropped always crept... Read More

April 24, 2024
by Dan McCue
First Lady Jill Biden Salutes ‘The Power of Research’ at DC Symposium

WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished... Read More

WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished disbelief. Biden was second lady, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at the time, and Maria Shriver was the first lady of California.  Both were... Read More

April 24, 2024
by Dan McCue
FDA Approves New Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract infections.  “Uncomplicated UTIs are a very common condition impacting women and one of the most frequent reasons for antibiotic use,” said Dr. Peter Kim, M.S.,... Read More

When Red-Hot Isn't Enough: New Heat Risk Tool Sets Magenta as Most Dangerous Level

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Forget about red hot. A new color-coded heat warning system relies on magenta to alert Americans to the most dangerous conditions they may see this summer. The National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday — Earth Day... Read More

April 23, 2024
by Dan McCue
President Lays Out New Steps for Protecting Nation’s Waters

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Tuesday set out a new national goal for conserving and restoring the United States’ freshwater resources, including 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams. Officials unveiled the plan as state, tribal and local leaders from... Read More

News From The Well
scroll top