A new study by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation demonstrates how urgent the situation is. Before accounting for people who left the workforce during the pandemic, working families lose $1.7 billion in wages annually when they miss work or have to reduce hours because they don’t have enough child care options. But it’s not just families. Employers lose $812 million due to lower productivity, costs due to turnover and rehiring expenses. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth sees $188 million in state tax revenues disappear every year due to lower earnings and lost wages.