By Michele Merritt and Rebecca Woitkowski
Ask almost any business owner and they will tell you: One of the most pressing problems impeding their ability to recruit and retain a workforce is the lack of available and affordable child care. Without access to quality, affordable child care for their workers, businesses are unable to fill critical vacancies, which limits opportunities for growth and stifles their potential for economic success.
kAm}6H uFEFC6D :D 2 ?@?A2CE:D2?[ ?@?\AC@7:E @C82?:K2E:@? E92E 25G@42E6D[ 65F42E6D 2?5 4@==23@C2E6D E@ :>AC@G6 E96 962=E9 2?5 H6==?6DD @7 2== }6H w2>AD9:C6 C6D:56?ED E9C@F89 A@=:4J 492?86] (6 6?G:D:@? 2 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 4@>>F?:E:6D H96C6 AF3=:4 A@=:4:6D 96=A <66A }6H w2>AD9:C6 2 962=E9J DE2E6 E@ =:G6[ H@C< 2?5 C2:D6 2 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm}6H uFEFC6D :D 2 qFD:?6DD U2>Aj x?5FDECJ pDD@4:2E:@? >6>36C] }6H w2>AD9:C6VD DE2E6H:56 492>36C @7 4@>>6C46 2?5 =625:?8 ?@?A2CE:D2? 3FD:?6DD 25G@42E6 C6AC6D6?ED ?62C=J c__ >6>36C 6>A=@J6CD :? E96 DE2E6] qxp 25G@42E6D 7@C A@=:4:6D E92E DEC6?8E96? E96 62C=J 49:=59@@5 DJDE6> :?4=F5:?8 :?4C62D:?8 2446DD E@ BF2=:EJ[ 277@C523=6 49:=542C6 E@ 2==@H 42C68:G6CD E@ C6EFC? E@ E96 =23@C 7@C46]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 49:=5 42C6 :D 2? 6DD6?E:2= C6D@FC46 7@C >@DE vC2?:E6 $E2E6 72>:=:6D[ :E’D @7E6? 6IA6?D:G6 2?5 ?62C=J :>A@DD:3=6 E@ D64FC6] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D[ 49:=5 42C6 :D 4@?D:56C65 277@C523=6 H96? :E 4@DED 72>:=:6D ?@ >@C6 E92? f A6C46?E @7 E96:C 9@FD69@=5 :?4@>6] x? }6H w2>AD9:C6[ E96 4@DE @7 42C6 7@C 2? :?72?E 2G6C286D S`c[cad A6C J62C :? 2 46?E6C\32D65 D6EE:?8[ H9:49 H@F=5 4@?DF>6 @G6C bf A6C46?E @7 2 D:?8=6 A2C6?E’D :?4@>6 2?5 `` A6C46?E @7 2 EH@\A2C6?E 9@FD69@=5 E92E ?6ED S`a_[___ 2??F2==J] %96D6 C2E6D 2C6 F?277@C523=6 7@C >@DE }6H w2>AD9:C6 72>:=:6D]k^Am
kAmtG6? :7 2 72>:=J 42? 277@C5 49:=5 42C6[ E96 56>2?5 @? AC@G:56CD 4FCC6?E=J 6I4665D E96:C 42A24:EJ E@ D6CG6 72>:=:6D] $:?46 a_`h[ ca 49:=5 42C6 46?E6CD 92G6 4=@D65 24C@DD }6H w2>AD9:C6[ 6=:>:?2E:?8 `[cdh D=@ED 7@C 49:=5C6? 2?5 255:?8 E@ E96 8C@H:?8 56>2?5 7@C 2G2:=23:=:EJ]k^Am
kAm{@H H286D 2?5 E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4 A=2465 255:E:@?2= AC6DDFC6D @? E9:D 7C28:=6 DJDE6>[ =62G:?8 72>:=:6D H:E9 76H @AE:@?D[ 2?5 @7E6? 7@C4:?8 E96> E@ A:646 E@86E96C 42C6 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6?] %96 4@?D:DE6?4J 2?5 BF2=:EJ @7 E92E A2E49H@C<65 42C6 5:C64E=J :>A24ED H96E96C 2 42C68:G6C C6>2:?D :? E96 H@C<7@C46]k^Am
kAmx7 2 72>:=J 42??@E 7:?5 49:=5 42C6[ H@>6? 2C6 @7E6? E96 @?6D E@ =62G6 E96 H@C<7@C46] q67@C6 E96 A2?56>:4[ gd]d A6C46?E @7 H@>6? 2865 ad\bc A2CE:4:A2E65 :? E96 H@C<7@C46] %@52J[ E92E ?F>36C 9@G6CD 2C@F?5 fd]g A6C46?E]k^Am
kAm%@ 255 :?DF=E E@ :?;FCJ[ ?62C=J 92=7 @7 H@>6? :? E9:D 286 3C24<6E 9@=5 2 32496=@C’D 568C66 @C 9:896C]k^Am
kAmx? |2J a_a`[ E96 5:C64E@C @7 E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 t4@?@>:4 2?5 {23@C |2C<6E x?7@C>2E:@? qFC62F C6A@CE65 E92E “x?4C62D:?8 E96 =23@C 7@C46 A2CE:4:A2E:@? C2E6 @7 H@>6? 286D ad\dc 3J ;FDE `]b A6C46?E W`_[___X H@F=5 255 @G6C S` 3:==:@? E@ }6H w2>AD9:C6’D 8C@DD 5@>6DE:4 AC@5F4E 3J a_b`]”k^Am
kAm}6H w2>AD9:C6’D 3FD:?6DD6D DF776C 7C@> 2 C65F465 A@@= @7 BF2=:7:65 H@C<6CD 2?5 E96 C:AA=6 67764ED @7 564C62D65 4@?DF>6C DA6?5:?8 2?5 9:896C 6>A=@J66 EFC?@G6C C2E6D]k^Am
kAmxEVD 4C:E:42= E92E vC2?:E6 $E2E6 A@=:4J>2<6CD C64@8?:K6 2 DEC@?8 DJDE6> @7 49:=5 42C6 :D ?@E @?=J 8@@5 7@C 72>:=:6D[ 3FE :D 6DD6?E:2= E@ E96 3@EE@> =:?6 @7 ?62C=J 6G6CJ 3FD:?6DD :? E9:D DE2E6]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ E96C6 2C6 4=62C H2JD }6H w2>AD9:C6 42? DEC6?8E96? E96 49:=5 42C6 DJDE6> 7@C 72>:=:6D 2?5 DFAA@CE 6IA2?D:@? @7 E96 49:=5 42C6 H@C<7@C46] u:CDE[ H6 >FDE >2I:>:K6 6I:DE:?8 AC@8C2>D 2:>65 2E DFAA@CE:?8 H@C<:?8 72>:=:6D] %9:D H:== 6?23=6 3FD:?6DD6D E@ C64CF:E 2?5 C6E2:? >@C6 H@C<:?8 A2C6?ED] $64@?5[ }6H w2>AD9:C6 >FDE 5:C64E=J :?G6DE :? E96 49:=5 42C6 H@C<7@C46] p55C6DD:?8 E96 H286 82A 7@C 49:=5 42C6 H@C<6CD 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 DFAA@CE 7@C H@C<7@C46 C64CF:E>6?E 2?5 C6E6?E:@? 2C6 4C:E:42=] (96C6G6C A@DD:3=6[ }6H w2>AD9:C6 D9@F=5 =6G6C286 6I:DE:?8 7656C2= 5@==2CD E@ 6?DFC6 E96 =@?8\E6C> DE23:=:EJ @7 E96 H@C<7@C46]k^Am
kAmqFD:?6DD =6256CD 2C6 F?:BF6=J A@D:E:@?65 E@ FD6 E96:C G@:46 E@ 4@>32E @FE52E65 G:6HD @? 49:=5 42C6 2?5 D6E E96 7@F?52E:@? 7@C DE2E6 A@=:4J F?56C 4@?D:56C2E:@? E9:D =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@?] w:DE@C:42==J[ E96 7:?2?4:2= 2?5 =@8:DE:42= 3FC56? @7 D64FC:?8 49:=5 42C6 92D 366? G:6H65 2D 2 72>:=J :DDF6[ ?@E 2 3FD:?6DD :DDF6] %92E @FE52E65 D6?E:>6?E C6>2:?D 2 32CC:6C E@ 4C:E:42= 492?86] }6H w2>AD9:C6’D 3FD:?6DD 4@>>F?:EJ 92D E96 A@H6C E@ 492?86 E9:D A6C46AE:@?]k^Am
kAmp DEC@?8 49:=5 42C6 DJDE6> :D 2 4@C?6CDE@?6 E@ E96 DF446DD @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6 3FD:?6DD6D 2?5 AC6D6CG2E:@? @7 2 G:3C2?E DE2E6 64@?@>J] pD E96 {68:D=2EFC6 6>32C<D @? E96 a_ab D6DD:@?[ :E’D :>A6C2E:G6 E92E @FC A@=:4J>2<6CD C64@8?:K6 AC@G:5:?8 DFAA@CE 7@C 49:=5 42C6 :?:E:2E:G6D H:== 96=A 2==6G:2E6 E96 4FCC6?E H@C<7@C46 D9@CE286[ H9:=6 2=D@ :?4C62D:?8 C64CF:E>6?E 2?5 C6E6?E:@? @7 H@C<6CD :? J62CD E@ 4@>6] x?G6DE:?8 :? 49:=5 42C6 :D 6DD6?E:2= 7@C E96 7FEFC6 @7 E96 vC2?:E6 $E2E6 64@?@>J 2?5 H:== 96=A 6?DFC6 @FC =@?8\E6C> AC@DA6C:EJ]k^Am
kAmk6>m|:496=6 |6CC:EE :D AC6D:56?E 2?5 rt~ @7 }6H uFEFC6D] #636442 (@:E<@HD<: D6CG6D 2D E96 z:5D r@F?E A@=:4J 5:C64E@C 7@C }6H uFEFC6D] u@C >@C6 23@FE }6H uFEFC6D[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^}6H\7FEFC6D]@C8Qm}6H\7FEFC6D]@C8k^2m] u@C >@C6 23@FE E96 qFD:?6DD U2>Aj x?5FDECJ pDD@4:2E:@?[ 8@ E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^q:2@7?9]4@>Qmq:2@7?9]4@>k^2m]k^6>mk^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.