"The Paradox of Child Care Costs" from AAI's Center for Public Partnerships & Research

In a new feature, AAI's Center for Public Partnerships & Research explores an issue many parents and childcare providers are familiar with: The Paradox of Child Care Costs.

"The high cost and demand of child care and the financial struggles of child care providers may first appear as a paradox: How do child care providers struggle when families are paying so much and demand is so high?

At CPPR, we’ve been focusing on these questions. The financial needs, career choices, and long-term earning potential of families and child care providers are deeply intertwined with the demand for quality child care. If Kansas families and child care providers continue to bear the brunt of rising child care costs—in both receiving and providing care—the state will face long-term implications in its larger economy and workforce.

Kansas is not alone in this dilemma. Today's equation simply doesn’t work, and there needs to be multiple payers in designing a robust child care ecosystem that meets the needs of families, child care providers, and employers. Employers across the country are recognizing how child care strengthens the overall workforce and are increasingly offering child care as a family benefit. For example, 56% of employers now offer some type of benefit compared to 36% of employers in 2019."

Read the full feature here: