Guest Commentary: The Cost Of Pennsylvania's Child Care Crisis

Any family will tell you that balancing work and parenting is challenging in the best of times. With the parents of most young children in Pennsylvania working, child care is critical to supporting the Commonwealth’s labor force and employers.

When parents don’t get the help they need, it diminishes their work commitments, performance, and opportunities — costing Pennsylvania’s economy. This effect is the focus of a new study from the nonprofit ReadyNation and the Pennsylvania Early Learning Investment Commission. According to the study, gaps in Pennsylvania’s child care system are costing families, employers, and taxpayers about $6.65 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity, and tax revenue.