Employees struggle with child care. Do employers have answers?

Organizations spend significant time and energy on recruiting and retaining valuable talent, but those efforts can be dashed if workers are so stressed over the cost and availability of child care that they can’t concentrate on work. So, what solutions can help employees manage their family responsibilities and benefit employers, too?

Understanding the costs for employees

Online platform Care.com’s 2024 Cost of Care Report says the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers child care affordable when it costs no more than 7% of a family’s household income, but according to Care’s survey, respondents were spending, on average, 24% of their household income on child care. The survey showed that 84% spent 10% or more, and 60% spent 20% or more.

And it's not just the cost of care that’s worrying working parents. It’s also availability. The Care report shows that parents are spending more time on waitlists now than in the past.

The report says, in general, 65% of the responding parents spent time on a daycare center waitlist, and 81% of those parents had been on multiple lists. The report adds that 43% of those parents waited four months or longer.

In commenting on the findings, Brad Wilson, CEO of Care.com, believes “the crushing weight of child care costs” doesn’t hurt just parents.