Search Results
What Can Geolocation Data Tell Us About Childcare Use and Accessibility?
In the U.S., many parents of young children may not have enough childcare providers near them, which may limit not only their childcare access but also their employment opportunities. In this article, we explore how data on people’s visiting patterns to childcare providers might help inform our understanding of the geographic distances between where families live and where providers operate, as well as how these distances and the capacity of providers can affect childcare access. Our research is part of the Chicago Fed’s Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, a targeted effort to ...
Responding to the Childcare Needs of Shift Workers: Examples from the Automotive Industry
Building cars, trucks, SUVs, and automotive parts is not a nine-to-five job. Almost all automotive manufacturing plants run production on two or more shifts or crews per day, and it is not uncommon for auto workers to work second or third shifts, “swing” shifts (that rotate between day and night shifts), or to occasionally work overtime to meet production demands. If you’re an auto manufacturing worker and a parent, working these non-standard hours (defined as anything outside of regular Monday to Friday daytime hours) poses unique challenges in finding quality, available, and flexible ...
Childcare Facility Financing: Perspectives from Three Decades of Supporting Childcare Centers
As part of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, this article focuses on the ways in which the lack of access to childcare is a barrier to employment in the Seventh District. We spoke with Joe Neri, CEO of IFF, a community development financial institution (CDFI) that has served the Midwest childcare sector for more than 30 years.
How Is the Challenge of Finding Childcare Affecting Labor Force Participation? Perspectives from Employers Across the Seventh District
Through the Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions (CFSEC) and during roundtable discussions with business, nonprofit, and government leaders, the Chicago Fed asked employers from a variety of sectors for their perspectives on how childcare access has affected labor force availability.1 These survey and roundtable findings contribute to the Chicago Fed’s Spotlight on Childcare—an effort to increase our understanding of how the lack of access to childcare impedes labor force participation in the Seventh Federal Reserve District. In this article, we summarize the responses from over 100 ...
A Summary of Lending to Childcare Businesses Under Programs of the U.S. Small Business Administration
Childcare is a facilities-intensive industry and access to capital is critical for entrepreneurs seeking to open or expand childcare businesses. Yet experts tell us that thin profit margins and limited collateral can make it difficult for childcare business owners to get loans to operate their businesses and upgrade their facilities.
Journal Article
Interview: Melissa Kearney
Over the past two decades, University of Maryland economist Melissa Kearney has been researching economic inequality and mobility, poverty, and children's well-being. She was first drawn to such topics, she says, by her own family's experiences.
Cedar Valley Kids: Addressing Local Childcare Needs Through Community Collaboration and Employer Partnerships
As part of the Chicago Fed’s Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, we describe the Black Hawk County Child Care Coalition—a burgeoning alliance of community partners in northeast Iowa working to create a local solution for a local challenge. We also explain what went into recently launching the Cedar Valley Kids (CVK) childcare facility in Black Hawk County—the culmination of years of effort by the coalition to help address local childcare shortages in the wider six-county region.
Michigan’s Tri-Share Program: One Promising Childcare Solution for Working Parents
For working parents of young children, finding accessible and affordable childcare is essential for having employment, which, in turn provides economic stability and opportunities for their families. Childcare is also vital for employers: As part of the Chicago Fed’s regular outreach throughout the Seventh Federal Reserve District, we heard from employers who have had difficulties in hiring and retaining workers because of the challenges parents have had in finding and affording childcare. Recognizing this need for childcare among both parents and employers in Michigan, the state ...
Building Momentum in Northeast Wisconsin to Improve Access to Childcare
As part of the Chicago Fed’s Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, I reached out to community contacts in Wisconsin to hear perspectives on childcare access within the state. I learned that there is an emerging ecosystem of cross-sector partners who are coming together to address childcare challenges in Northeast Wisconsin. These organizations report that coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, access to childcare in Northeast Wisconsin has become more difficult for working parents in terms of affordability and availability. The Greater Fox Valley Child Care Alliance, which is focused ...
Female Labor Force Participation in the Post-Pandemic Era
As part of our Spotlight on Childcare and the Labor Market, a targeted effort to understand how access to childcare can affect employment and the economy, this article documents a striking change in the American labor market: The labor force participation rate for women is higher than it was prior to the pandemic. Most strikingly, women with young children at home, those most in need of childcare, have experienced the largest increases in labor force participation. In contrast, the labor force participation rate of men and the overall labor force participation rate are still below their ...