CHAMBER STUDY REVEALS $1.2 BILLION ANNUAL COST OF OKLAHOMA’S CHILDCARE CRISIS
care for their children. In Oklahoma alone, if the women’s labor force participation rate increased to equal that of the men’s, there would be an additional 99,000 workers in the state’s workforce. That translates into $3.7 billion earned in wages. There are various reasons why parents choose to stay home to take care of their kids rather than work. Some revolve around the cost and availability of childcare, while others revolve around which childcare benefits their employers offer. Results from surveys and focus groups targeting the Oklahoma City workforce showed that 27% of respondents said they couldn’t find childcare they could afford. Another 22% said they couldn’t get childcare because daycares were full. Respondents also shared some of the ways childcare has impacted their employment over the 12-month period. A majority indicated they had to use unplanned vacation time for childcare or unplanned sick leave to care for their sick child. Eighty-six percent of workers said their current employer did not provide childcare benefits, while 95% responded that having childcare benefits through their employer would make their job position more attractive. They cited flexible working hours, remote work or working from home, paid maternity leave and other family-centric benefits as being the most appealing to them. One of the key takeaways from the study is that no one group can solve the childcare crisis; it is going to take a group effort to make a difference. State and city leaders, philanthropic organizations, educational institutions, early childcare, and education providers, as well as parents and guardians, play a critical role in working toward solutions and improvements. To view a copy of the 2023 Child Care Study Summary & Community Action Plan, visit www.okcchamber.com/childcare.
Results from a study released by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber shed new light on Oklahoma City’s childcare crisis. The issue, which many cities across the country are facing, is negatively affecting businesses, families and the local economy. The Chamber partnered with the City of Oklahoma City, Coalign Group and the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness to complete the study. Its purpose is to gather data, better understand how the issue is affecting our local workforce and create a strategy to better address it. “Many Oklahomans struggle everyday with childcare issues. Whether it’s families trying to find affordable, high-quality daycare or businesses trying to figure out what they can do to recruit and retain workers, it is a critical issue that is impacting our entire state in so many ways. These and other challenges surrounding childcare must be addressed soon if our state and city is to continue moving forward. This study is a good start in helping us all move in the right direction,” said Chamber President and CEO Christy Gillenwater. It is estimated that the childcare crisis costs the state of Oklahoma $1.2 billion in lost earnings, productivity and revenue annually. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue, impacting parents’ ability to work and businesses’ ability to recruit and retain a strong workforce. About 2.3 million women across the United States have left the workforce since the start of the pandemic, a good portion of whom have chosen to return home to
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