Nurture
Seguridad Financiera y Movilidad Económica para Empresarios de Cuidado Infantil
The pandemic made plain how essential child care is to a functioning economy; women's labor force participation hit a three-decade low as mothers left the workforce to take on the lion's share of caregiving
... But, even before the pandemic, the child care economy was broken
Figure 1. Change in Labor Force Participation among Prime-Age Adults since January 2020, by Gender and Parental Status,The Hamilton Project, Brookings
Figure 2. Child Care Market Failure
Reliance on a market-based system for setting prices means that,
on one hand, low- and moderate-income parents cannot afford
high-quality care, on the other, child care is one of the most underpaid fields in the United States†
Adopting policies that dramatically expand subsidized care and boost wages is essential
But we also must expand the supply of high-quality care, particularly in child care deserts
​
Sector-specific workforce development strategies will both expand the supply and make jobs in the child care economy better
Figure 3. Interdependence in the Child Care Economy
Figure 4. Virtuous Circle of High-Quality Home-Based Child Care
ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR WOMEN & FAMILIES OF COLOR
Nearly 3 in 4 home-based child care business owners in California are women of color, including undocumented immigrants
Home-based child care business owners can earn a family-sustaining income by applying sound business administration practices
Preparing women to run high-quality programs increases economic opportunity for owners, children and families alike
Home-based child care businesses start, struggling businesses are viable, small businesses expand
​
Marginalized entrepreneurs earn more & build wealth
​
Supply of quality care increases in child care deserts
​
Parents work and build economic security
Children build skills to succeed in school, leading
to intergenerational health and wealth outcomes
Xavier Cortada, Dreaming of A World Free of Poverty, World Bank, Washington, DC, 2003
