A decline in Pennsylvania’s Child Care Works enrollment might be a sign the pandemic has forced low-income families to prioritize home care over earning a paycheck.
The program, which began in July 2021, included an increase in payments that were sent out monthly and broadened the number of families who were eligible. More than 36 million families in the U.S. were receiving payments that ranged from $250 to $300 per child.
The shortages, caused by low wages and razor-thin profit margins, have ripple effects that reach far beyond the classroom and affect everyone.
Childcare options in Pennsylvania essentially evaporated in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Merideth Bucher/WITF PBS NewsHour presents an in-depth look at how the lack of affordable, quality child care is affecting American families.
“I’ve been in this industry for 30 years, we’ve always talked about the challenges of hiring … but we’ve never seen this before.”
