News & Updates

Can employers solve the child care crisis?

The child care crisis has historically revolved around a few key players: those trying to access care, those who provide it, and those that regulate it and supply funding. But another party is getting deeper into the mix: employers.

Some business associations and public policy groups have been pushing the idea that employers can play an important and far bigger role in increasing access to high-quality child care. And they say that greater involvement could be motivated by self-interest, since research indicates inadequate child care costs employers billions annually by limiting their worker pool, reducing employee productivity, and fueling turnover.

Sarah Savage, a child care expert at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said no one expects employers to cover the billions in funding, services, and infrastructure that those in the field say the sector needs. But she said employers could make a major impact by helping subsidize or supply child care for workers.