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When parents have child care problems, companies have labor force problems

Dec 11, 2023
Tyson Foods is piloting an on-site child care center near its plant in Humboldt, Tennessee, to try to attract and retain workers.
At the Tyson Learning Center in Humboldt, Tennessee, parents pay an average of $1.66 per hour.
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Child care is a challenge for the many parents with unpredictable work hours

Jun 12, 2023
Nearly a third of parents don’t know their schedule more than two weeks in advance, and more than 25% need child care outside of traditional work hours.
More than a quarter of parents need care outside of traditional working hours, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. But that can be difficult to find.
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Women's labor force participation is rising, but barriers remain

Mar 14, 2023
Women's labor force participation is approaching pre-pandemic levels, but childcare is still limiting some women's return to paid work.
Data from the February jobs report show that women are continuing to get more involved in the workforce, but barriers like access to childcare remain.
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Why there's a child care shortage, and how parents are coping

Oct 8, 2021
Across the country, families are struggling to secure the child care they need.
One of the biggest factors in the struggle to find child care is low pay.
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Owner of child care center hopeful about rebounding from pandemic setbacks

Sep 30, 2021
Milli Pintacsi's child care operation was expanding, and enrollment had reached full capacity. Then the pandemic shut down the business.
Milli Pintacsi, owner of Le Petit Elephant Nursery and Preschool in Napa, California, with her children. "This is our family business," she says. "It feels like we can't fail — we have to make it.”
Courtesy Milli Pintacsi

Treasury says U.S. child care system is a market failure

Sep 15, 2021
The Biden administration is calling for Congress to expand existing programs and tax credits, as well as provide universal preschool.
A Treasury Department report released Wednesday argues that the child care industry is failing families because of inadequate availability and high costs.
Ina Fassbender/AFP via Getty Images

Sacrifice and sleep deprivation: Inside the lives of overnight caregivers

Aug 19, 2021
A new documentary explores the realities of nighttime child care and the families who rely on it.
A new documentary, "Through the Night," explores the realities of nighttime child care and the families who rely on it.
Courtesy Long Shot Factory

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What are the parallels between parenting and running a business?

Aug 5, 2021
In her new book, economist Emily Oster presents a framework for data-based parenting decisions.
In her new book, economist Emily Oster argues for a data-based approach to parenting decisions.
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How the pandemic affected one paramedic's career

Jul 19, 2021
With the pandemic forcing school and daycare closures around the country, children are spending more time at home — and women are bearing the brunt of that.
Women’s labor force participation fell to 56.2% in June, the lowest levels since 1988, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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For this entrepreneur, the pandemic provided an opportunity to diversify children’s libraries

May 18, 2021
Faced with her child care centers closing down, Yobe Qiu turned to her passion project: writing children's books about Asian cultures.
"The books I published in the pandemic all focus on featuring Asian children, family, because the Asian community is extremely diverse," said Yobe Qiu, an entrepreneur in New York City.
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