Child Care Requires Training, Expertise and Commitment

Christy Gleason, Vice President for Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns writes about the economic importance of child care and its workers.

Child care isn’t just a family expense — it’s also an economic engine. When parents can access
affordable, high-quality care, workforce participation rises and businesses thrive. Recent U.S. Chamber
of Commerce Foundation studies found states lose billions of dollars in productivity each year when
child care breaks down. Undermining the workforce only deepens that loss.

The truth is that child care workers already earn so little that 2 out of 5 need public assistance to
support their families, and nearly 28 percent rely on Medicaid to afford health care. Driving wages
lower might push people out of the field altogether, leaving families with impossible choices.

Our children deserve safe, qualified, well-supported child care workers. We don’t have to choose
between quality and affordability; we can and must ensure both.

Read the full piece as published in The Washington Post on August 29, 2025.