Nicole Slemp, a former secretary for Washington’s child services department, found herself facing a difficult decision after giving birth to her son. The exorbitant cost of child care, coupled with a lack of government assistance, forced her to leave her job. This dilemma is common in the United States, where quality child care programs are prohibitively expensive and government aid is limited.
In 2022, over 10% of young children had a parent who quit or significantly changed their job due to child care issues. The burden falls heavily on mothers, who often shoulder more child-rearing responsibilities and are more likely to leave work to care for their children.
Even as women’s workforce participation has rebounded from the pandemic, a significant gap persists for mothers without college degrees. For them, a day without work often means a day without pay, as they are less likely to have paid leave. According to an analysis by The Associated Press and the Education Reporting Collaborative, when child care arrangements fall through, mothers in these households are more likely to take unpaid time off or quit their jobs altogether.
Sociologist Jessica Calarco challenges the stereotype of the stay-at-home mom as an affluent woman with a high-earning partner. Her research shows that the majority of stay-at-home moms live in households with incomes below $50,000, and half have incomes below $25,000.
Even mothers with college degrees face challenges when it comes to child care. Jane Roberts, a teacher, had to take unpaid leave to stay home with her infant son due to the high cost and lack of quality providers in her area. The financial burden forced them to borrow money against her life insurance policy, and she ultimately decided not to return to teaching.
For low- and middle-income families, child care expenses can consume a significant portion of their budget. The Department of Health and Human Services defines affordable child care as no more than 7% of a household budget. However, a Labor Department study found that less than 50 American counties provide child care at an affordable price for families earning the median household income.
Adriane Burnett, a single mother in Alabama, spends over a third of her income on child care, leaving her financially stressed and struggling to make ends meet. The high cost of child care has forced her to take on additional work and even file for bankruptcy.
Even for parents who can afford child care, the search for quality and affordable options can be time-consuming and stressful. Daizha Rioland faced challenges finding a racially diverse program with a strong curriculum for her daughter. She was surprised to learn that she was already behind schedule by not being on wait lists.
Nicole Slemp wonders how she ended up as a stay-at-home mom, despite her career aspirations. She feels disoriented and questions why it is so difficult to maintain a career when everything else in her life seems to be going well. She believes that the United States needs to do more to address the gap in child care availability and affordability, especially for working parents.
