Child Care Is a Workforce Issue
Child care challenges can make it harder for parents to work and harder for employers to find and keep the people they need.
There are practical ways employers can help. Our team can help you explore what makes sense for your workforce.
Why This Matters for Employers
1 in 3 working-age adults
16,000 - 28,000 parents
could enter or re-enter Kentucky’s workforce with greater access to affordable child care.
More than 80% of parents
say child care benefits matter when deciding whether to stay with an employer.
Cost and access can keep people from working.
Working-age adults who are not working say caring for children is the main reason. The impact is especially clear for mothers with younger children. 68% are working or looking for work when their youngest child is under 6. That rises to 78% when the youngest is 6–17.
That creates a workforce opportunity for Kentucky
Kentucky parents could enter or re-enter the workforce with greater access to affordable child care, generating up to $1.1 billion annually in new wages and tax revenue.
Employer support also matters to parents who are already working
Among parents with children age 5 and under, 83% of women and 81% of men said child care benefits would be an important factor in deciding whether to stay with their employer or move to another.
Start With the Challenge Your Employees Face
When COST is the Challenge
Help Employees Afford Child Care
Child care can cost a Kentucky family more than $10,000 a year for one child.
Through the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership, or ECCAP, employers contribute toward an employee’s child care, and the state adds support based on the employee’s household income. The combined amount goes directly to the child care provider.
There is no minimum employer contribution, giving you flexibility to choose an amount that fits your workforce and budget.
When ACCESS is the Challenge
Help Create More Child Care Options
In communities across Kentucky, families can struggle to find available child care close to home or work.
Employers can play a direct role in expanding child care access. That can include creating or expanding an on-site or near-site child care facility, working with a child care provider, or partnering with other employers on a shared solution.
The federal Employer-Provided Child Care Credit, known as 45F, can help offset some of those costs. The credit covers 40% of qualified child care expenditures for most employers and 50% for eligible small businesses.
