Over the past few years the issue of child care has gained momentum in national and state policy discussions. This has been especially true throughout the pandemic, as the public health emergency and economic fallout turned a dire child care situation into a crisis. Due to the increased focus on this issue, there has been growing interest in analyzing how insufficient child care impacts the economy. Inadequate child care access is particularly relevant in Massachusetts, where demographic trends and workforce constraints may exacerbate the economic impact of child care gaps. Over the past several months, MTF conducted a landscape analysis of recent research which used survey data to estimate the dollar figure associated with insufficient child care. Although these previous assessments are not perfect, they enable us to take various components of each to approximate the economic costs to families, employers, and taxpayers in Massachusetts.
The Untold Cost of Inadequate Child Care
Over the past few years the issue of child care has gained momentum in national and state policy discussions. This has been especially true throughout the pandemic, as the public health emergency and economic fallout turned a dire child care situation into a crisis. Due to the increased focus on this issue, there has been growing interest in analyzing how insufficient child care impacts the economy. Inadequate child care access is particularly relevant in Massachusetts, where demographic trends and workforce constraints may exacerbate the economic impact of child care gaps. Over the past several months, MTF conducted a landscape analysis of recent research which used survey data to estimate the dollar figure associated with insufficient child care. Although these previous assessments are not perfect, they enable us to take various components of each to approximate the economic costs to families, employers, and taxpayers in Massachusetts.
