If Childcare Were Easy
Work meetings all begin the same way. How was your weekend? How was vacation? How are the kids? I remember my 27 year-old self listening to my co-workers who were parents commiserate about their barely sick kid who was banned from daycare that day or their nanny who called out at 9pm last night. Their faces would light up with animation during these moments of parental bonding. “What was all the fuss about?” I thought. “Someday I want kids too. But for now, I also have other things going on outside of work like biking and rock climbing, and I’m not boring you with the intricate details of my latest ride or route.”
Oh, how I chuckle at my naive and childless former self. Brittany - so young, so clueless.
Today, two in five American workers are parents with children under 18.1 Financially, the top two expenses for many families are mortgage and childcare. The burden of childcare far surpasses other responsibilities and mental strains. People often overlook childcare until they find themselves in dire need of it. Then, it becomes an all-encompassing quest. Parents become relentless experts in childcare options, vigilant detectives searching for quality, and decisive purchasers, so as not to miss out on the latest available services.
Across the United States, a staggering 12 million children require childcare each day.2 On September 30, 2023, $24 billion of federal childcare stabilization funds are set to expire, putting over 70,000 childcare providers at risk of closure. This could mean that 3 million children, or 25% of all child-dependent individuals in the US, might lose their childcare support.3 Never before in history has childcare become such a pressing and poignant issue for so many. We find ourselves at the edge of a childcare cliff, but what if it didn't have to be this way? What if childcare were easy?
Imagine a world where a childcare super app connects you with fellow parent co-workers. You can browse through the nannies they've used before, along with their reviews and ratings. The app surfaces to you only nannies who fit your location, rate, and preferences. And guess what? They’re actually available! Once you confirm a certified nanny, you can choose to take advantage of your employer subsidy as you check out.
In this utopian realm, nannies are readily available, reliable, and experienced. Like a nanny? Book her for a date night. Like her for ongoing visits? Employ her as your full-time nanny. If your primary option falls through, no worries - a couple of clicks will land you a new nanny for supplemental care.
And nannies, this world looks out for you too. For such a universe to exist, we must care for the caregivers. Picture a world where families are as they seem - respectful, communicative, and punctual with payments. Seeking extra shifts for additional income? Get certified and pick up shifts. Looking for consistent Wednesdays? Excellent, because there's a family in need of coverage on those very days. Aspiring to establish a long-term nanny career? Fantastic, as there are three families in your area seeking such arrangements.
With today’s technology, this world is possible. The US is down nearly 100,000 childcare workers since pre-pandemic, but I don’t think my fellow parents and I are ready for AI to care for our children. Now, more than ever, given the scarcity in the market, employers who elevate jobs and attract the best employees will win. We must work together to elevate the childcare job ecosystem. To do so, we must do three things and do them well.
Recruit
Finding great childcare professionals is the name of the game. Parents within similar social circles engage in identical research, crafting spreadsheets, and making the same calls to nannies and daycares. In practice, each family will conduct this search a dozen or so times in the span of their childcare needs. A matching system that connects families and childcare providers will see these matches millions of times and will be able to use the matching preference data to tailor recruiting for like-minded families and nannies.
Retain
Recruiting wins games, retention wins championships. Childcare as a service is finally possible because we can have transparency into inventory - when care is needed and who is available when. In the job elevation ecosystem, the ability to match on true availability and provide stability of work for the childcare providers will be the unlock to retaining the best workers.
Build relationships
At the end of the day, care is deeply personal, human, and relationship-based. For parents, the search is typically conducted with two main questions, in this order:
Are you available?
Are you a good fit?
When childcare workers are in short supply, the providers will flip the order of the questions and flex availability based on the attractiveness of the role, pushing up the quality of jobs in the market.
The problem is not the shortage of childcare providers. The problem is the shortage of good jobs for childcare providers. All employees want to know their employers care about them. We need to build true relationships and understand what our childcare providers are looking for in their careers and lives. With dedication to these three pillars - recruiting the best, retaining their talents, and building strong relationships - we can revolutionize childcare delivery in the US.
If childcare were easy…
Approximately 700,000 more women would have returned to the workforce after the pandemic.4
Employers would make up $13B annually in lost productivity.5
The US would see a $122B gain in earnings, productivity, and revenue.6
And most importantly, we can confidently and anecdotally say parents would be seventeen-fold happier, two times more in shape, and have an average of 48 fewer gray hairs.
As a nation, we struggle with adequate childcare. Yes, President Biden focused on childcare in his Build Back Better plan or has required via the CHIPS Act for semiconductor manufacturers to submit plans for affordable and accessible childcare. I applaud these efforts and spotlights on childcare. However, there are two major missing pieces: funding and execution. For this world to exist, we need to ask more of our government and employers. None of the above is possible without subsidies, discounts, and tax credits from additional payers. The cost of labor in the US continues to outpace inflation, and it’s not sustainable for our workforce.
Make children a priority. Make parents a priority. Make business a priority. We do this by making childcare a priority in business.
