Experts and advocates fear the decline in Child Care Works enrollment is a sign the pandemic has forced low-income families to prioritize home care over earning a paycheck.
For low-income workers, the choice can be particularly stark because they often have less flexibility to telecommute or change their hours. Not being able to return to work can have lasting implications for individuals and the economy, according to C. Nicole Mason, president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a national think tank.
During the pandemic, state officials dedicated hundreds of millions of dollars in federal relief money to the program. Gov. Tom Wolf raised rates for providers twice, including at the start of this year. He also lowered copays for families, saying in October that the state was “investing in equitable quality child care for all Pennsylvanians, no matter where they live or their income.”
She said her office doesn’t know what’s driving the enrollment drop, or whether the trend is good or bad. Staffing shortages among child care providers are likely playing a role, Campanini acknowledged, but other factors also could be at play, such as the rise of remote work. “We can’t pay people enough to attract them from companies that can raise their rates a little bit more,” said Stephanie McIntosh, director of Creative Learning Childcare in Erie County. “Walmart can raise their cereal by a dime or McDonald’s can raise their cheeseburger. We can’t raise child care enough to compete from a wage perspective.”
She frequently works with adult students who also qualify for help with child care payments. But during the pandemic, Paull said, providers have reduced hours and it’s become even harder for students to find evening and weekend care.
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