63. How the Childcare Cliff Disproportionately Impacts Women

The Fiscal Feminist

When families can’t access childcare, women are disproportionately affected. And that impact ripples out to hurt the entire economy. In this episode, Kimberlee examines the “childcare cliff” we’re facing now that pandemic-era subsidies for childcare have expired. She explains why it’s so important for women to be able to participate in the workforce and shares some steps you can take to advocate for change on this important issue.

Episode Recap:

• Today we’re talking about the “childcare cliff” that impacts many women’s finances (1:08)
• The cut off of childcare subsidization will have a massive economic impact (2:48)
• When families can’t access childcare, women are disproportionately affected (9:50)
• The childcare cliff can also impact women’s decisions to become parents (15:37)
• Time out of the workforce has a lifelong impact on women’s finances (18:08)
• When women leave the workforce, everyone loses (20:21)

Resources:

• Visit the Fiscal Feminist Website
• Find every episode of the Fiscal Feminist podcast
• “The Fiscal Feminist” book

Research Mentioned:

• The Century Foundation research on the childcare cliff
• 2021 Child Care Affordability Analysis from Childcare Aware
• OECD Report on Child Care Costs
• McKinsey Report on Women in Leadership
• Childcare Cliff Study by the Center for American Progress
• Study on the Economic Impact of Child Care Inaccessibility

Quotes:

“So, what happens when parents can’t afford childcare or can’t get access? The burden exponentially falls on women. Women are taking the hit. So what are these childcare cliff implications for women? First, women are 5-8x more likely than men to have their employment affected by caregiving responsibilities. And that is from the State of Women in the Labor Market Report from 2023. When one partner needs to stay home or limit their hours or change jobs to become more flexible, it often falls to the woman. And the statistics have supported this now for years.”

“I want to raise the alarm for all of you, that it’s important. This isn’t me just ranting and raving, it has real effects on us, on women, on children, on families, on productivity of our country, on the global economy, and on the living standard for everybody. If we want the birth rate to go up, then we need to make it a more accommodating environment for women to have children. Women should not have to make undue sacrifices that everybody else in society doesn’t have to make.”