Can we fix child care?

The business of child care has operated in a strained market for years — low wages for workers and high costs for parents.

Now, the pandemic is showing just how vital and fragile our child care system is.

Early in the pandemic, providers were hit hard by big changes in employment. Furloughs and remote work led many families to pull children out of care, along with their dollars. The financial strain on child care providers is far from over. Home day cares continue to close. Centers are having trouble paying enough to keep workers.

A lack of reliable and affordable care limits what jobs people can take and may be holding back the recovery of the entire economy.

The social policy bill being pushed by President Joe Biden would provide unprecedented public dollars to support child care. But, there’s also concern about who would administer the funds and who would get the money.

Host Angela Davis checks in on the business and future of child care with providers and a consultant who works with child care entrepreneurs.