Resource | January 18, 2019

America's Child Care Crisis Imperils the Nation

A lack of access to affordable, high-quality child care hurts the nation in terms of our economy, national security, and public safety.

The nation’s infant-and-toddler child care crisis is exacting a heavy toll on parents, children, and society.

There is scientific consensus that early brain development sets the stage for children’s future success. That’s one reason why a lack of access to affordable, high-quality child care, especially for infants and toddlers, helps fuel a variety of devastating societal problems that impact our nation.

Whether it’s an annual cost to society of $57 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue, a smaller military recruiting pool, or the potential for more and costlier crime down the road, the child care crisis must be solved in order for our nation to remain strong.

Council for a Strong America and its members are working to try to help remedy this crisis. This page will be updated regularly with highlights of our work.


NATIONAL REPORT: Want to Grow the Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis.

ReadyNation’s new national report sets the stage by explaining the nature of the crisis, including the fact that it costs our nation a total of $57 billion per year.


ILLINOIS REPORT: Child Care Crisis Costs Illinois’ Economy Billions

This Ready Nation report suggests improvements to help working families, employers in Illinois.


NEW YORK REPORT: Want to Grow New York’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

This ReadyNation report discusses the impact of child care challenges felt by families, employers, and taxpayers in New York.


COLORADO REPORT: Want to Grow Colorado’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

In Colorado, workers and employers feel pain in pocketbooks and productivity due to the lack of high-quality infant-toddler care. This ReadyNation report discusses the statewide issue and possible solutions.


OHIO REPORT: Want to Strengthen Ohio’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

This ReadyNation report discusses the impact of child care challenges felt by families, employers, and taxpayers in Ohio.


NEW JERSEY REPORT: Want to Strengthen New Jersey’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

This ReadyNation report discusses the impact of child care challenges felt by families, employers, and taxpayers in New Jersey.


NEW MEXICO REPORT: Want to Strengthen New Mexico’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis

This ReadyNation report highlights the negative effects the infant-and-toddler child care crisis is having in New Mexico, as well as potential solutions.


CAPITOL HILL ROUNDTABLE: Business Leaders Convene to Forge Solutions on Child Care Crisis

Leaders from ReadyNation engaged in a roundtable discussion and spoke with policymakers about potential bipartisan paths forward to fight the infant-and-toddler child care crisis.


CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFING: Child Care Solutions Will Boost Our Nation’s Economy

ReadyNation members met with policymakers and engaged in a panel discussion on Capitol Hill to highlight the child care crisis and the need for strong Congressional action to fight it.


KANSAS ROUNDTABLE: Rep. Marshall, Experts Convene to Discuss Kansas’ Child Care Crisis

Representative Roger Marshall (KS-1) met with business leaders and subject-matter experts to discuss the impact of the child care crisis in Kansas.


OHIO REPORT: Child Care Benefits Ohio’s Current and Future Workforce

This ReadyNation report highlights the negative effects the infant-and-toddler child care crisis is having in Ohio, as well as potential solutions.


MASSACHUSETTS REPORT: Child Care in Massachusetts and National Security

A new Mission: Readiness report explains how the infant-and-toddler child care crisis in Massachusetts negatively impacts national security.


TEXAS BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine Texas’ Strength

This Council for a Strong America brief provides an overview of possibly solutions to the damage that the infant-and-toddler child care crisis is doing to the Lone Star State.


LOUISIANA REPORT: Infant-Toddler Child Care Increases Louisiana’s Success

A Council for a Strong America report shows how the infant-and-toddler child care crisis affects working families and the economy of Louisiana.


PENNSYLVANIA REPORT: Growing Tomorrow’s Economy Means Investing in Child Care Today

This ReadyNation report highlights the devastating impact that the child care crisis is having on businesses, taxpayers, and parents in Pennsylvania.


NEBRASKA REPORT: Child Care in Nebraska and National Security

A new Nebraska report from Mission:Readiness demonstrates how the child care crisis can negatively impact national security.


CALIFORNIA FACTSHEET: California’s 0-3 Child Care Crisis

This California factsheet demonstrates the devastating impact of the child care crisis on the Golden State.


MICHIGAN BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine Michigan’s Strength

In this Michigan research brief, we see how the infant-and-toddler child care crisis is negatively impacting Michigan’s present and future workforce.


NORTH CAROLINA REPORT: Want to Grow North Carolina’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis.

This new North Carolina report from ReadyNation lays out the case for investments in high-quality, affordable care to boost North Carolina’s workforce today and tomorrow.


MINNESOTA BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine Minnesota’s Strength

This Minnesota research brief sheds light on the child care crisis in Minnesota and explains the damage caused by a failure to provide affordable, high-quality child care options for working parents.


GEORGIA BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine Georgia’s Strength

A new Georgia research brief spotlights the infant-and-toddler child care crisis in the Peach state, demonstrating why working families in Georgia need better access to quality care.


NEW YORK BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine New York’s Strength

This New York research brief highlights the challenges and damage associated with a lack of child care access in the state of New York.


WISCONSIN BRIEF: Infant-Toddler Child Care Challenges Undermine Wisconsin’s Strength

This new Wisconsin research brief explains the impact of the child care crisis on working families and children in the Badger state.


ARIZONA REPORT: Infant-Toddler Child Care Increases Arizona’s Success

Council for a Strong America’s new Arizona report shows how high-quality child care can help grow the economy, increase public safety, and enhance national security.


PRESIDENT’S BLOG: Child Care is a Bipartisan Opportunity

Council for a Strong America President & CEO Barry Ford writes about the challenge—and opportunity—presented by the infant-and-toddler child care crisis.


OREGON REPORT: Want to Grow Oregon’s Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis.

ReadyNation’s new Oregon report, recently released at an event in Baker City, shows how child care “deserts” and other care-related issues negatively impact parents, families, and the economy in Oregon.


LETTER TO CONGRESS: Business Leaders Urge Congressional Action

Over 50 senior business leaders from across the country have signed a letter to Congress urging strong Child Care and Development Block Grant funding and other initiatives to fight the infant-and-toddler child care crisis.


SPOTLIGHT: Key Businesses Helping to Fight the Child Care Crisis

This profile presents three examples of companies that have created better child care options for their employees, thereby improving the lives of parents and children, while also bolstering their own productivity.

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