Parents Need Child Care Assistance Beyond the Pandemic, Survey Shows
The excessive value of kid care is hard for American dad and mom to shoulder alone.
The BaghdadTime surveyed 2,000 dad and mom in September 2021, and about 84% mentioned they discovered the price of little one care overwhelming.
A majority reported spending at the least $750 per thirty days on little one care. Half mentioned little one care bills represented at the least 25% of their month-to-month earnings.
In the course of the previous 12 months and a half, nonetheless, one thing unprecedented occurred. By means of stimulus checks and little one tax credit, many households acquired direct monetary help from the federal government for the primary time. The tax credit present $300 per thirty days for every little one beneath age 6, and $250 a month for every little one between ages 6 and 17.
This pandemic help has given households a glimpse of what it’s wish to obtain monetary assist to assist deal with the prices of kid care. Unsurprisingly, that assist was properly acquired.
Assist From Uncle Sam
Seven out of 10 dad and mom we surveyed mentioned they used their stimulus cash on little one care prices.
Greater than half are receiving the month-to-month little one tax credit, and 83% of these households mentioned the funds have been useful in paying for little one care.
Whereas $300 per thirty days per little one typically doesn’t cowl all the value of day care, it will probably positively ease the burden.
Congress is at present contemplating whether or not to increase the expanded little one tax credit score. Some lawmakers, although, are cautious about the price of extending the coverage and the very fact dad and mom can obtain month-to-month funds no matter having earned earnings.
The month-to-month funds are scheduled to finish in December, leaving many households questioning how they’ll be capable to afford holding their children in little one care.
Stress on the Horizon
One out of 5 dad and mom we surveyed mentioned they won’t be able to proceed paying for little one care as soon as the funds finish. And a few might be caught off guard when that day comes — about 37% mentioned they weren’t conscious of when the month-to-month funds finish.
Virtually 70% of fogeys say they really feel harassed about what their household’s little one care prices could seem like in 2022. Practically a 3rd of survey respondents say they consider little one care prices might be much less manageable subsequent 12 months in comparison with this one.
The price of little one care already causes dad and mom to make main sacrifices, like transferring houses, leaving the workforce and going into debt. Practically 63% of fogeys say the price of little one care has factored into their choice whether or not or to not have one other little one.
Discovering Extra Sustainable Help
For a lucky few, a extra everlasting answer is on the market: little one care help supplied by employers.
However that type of worker profit isn’t widespread. Solely 16% of fogeys we surveyed mentioned their employer already presents help with little one care bills.
What if extra employers did present little one care stipends? Practically 66% mentioned they’d contemplate switching jobs to work for a corporation that does.
Among the many dad and mom who reported being usually overwhelmed by the price of little one care, 76% mentioned they’d contemplate switching jobs to get employer help.
“Traditionally, employers haven’t been desperate to tackle little one care points within the office,” mentioned Theresa Adams, senior HR information advisor for the Society for Human Useful resource Administration.
However the pandemic highlighted a necessity to higher assist working dad and mom, she mentioned. Many firms modified their insurance policies to permit staff to work remotely and have flexibility with their work hours.
Even earlier than the pandemic, a small share of firms supplied worker advantages reminiscent of discounted charges for native little one care suppliers, on-site little one care or help with little one care referrals or backup care, Adams mentioned.
Low-income households could possibly qualify for little one care subsidies or to enroll their youngsters in government-based packages, like Head Begin.
When you’re unaware of what advantages your employer presents, Adams suggests reaching out to your human useful resource division or reviewing the advantages materials you got over the past open enrollment interval or when onboarding with the corporate. Your job’s worker help program (EAP) can also find a way that will help you discover inexpensive little one care in your space.
If your organization doesn’t supply little one care help, it doesn’t damage to voice your curiosity in having these advantages. Some employers merely aren’t conscious of the wants of their staff or the benefits of providing little one care help, Adams mentioned.
“I believe with the pandemic it’s introduced it to the forefront,” she mentioned. “However I don’t assume the needle has moved as a lot because it might or it must.”
Methodology: The BaghdadTime used Pollfish to conduct a nationwide survey about the price of little one care with 2,000 folks finishing the survey Sept. 8-10, 2021. Survey responses are weighted so that every response is consultant of the U.S. inhabitants.
Nicole Dow is a senior author at The BaghdadTime. Chris Zuppa, The BaghdadTime’s multimedia content material creator, contributed to this report.
