The lack of affordable childcare is also dragging down the U.S. economy and keeping would-be workers at home, contributing to a slower recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and challenging companies to find qualified employees.
Why exactly does the U.S. struggle to address its decades-old childcare crisis? Why is such a universally-needed service so challenging for parents to obtain – and afford?
Experts point out that America has addressed the childcare crisis before, and with good results. During World War II, as women flocked to war production plants by the millions, the Lanham Act helped fund childcare in communities with defense industries.
A 2015 White House report reflected that under this WWII-era funding, all families (regardless of income) were eligible for childcare for up to six days a week, and parents paid the equivalent of just $9-$10 a day in today’s dollars.