Child Care Matters: Built to Break

Child care has been referred to as a "broken market," but what does that mean for the economy as a whole? In this episode, we dive into who is paying the cost, and why the ramifications are too broad to ignore.

What does quality child care look like, and how do we define it? In this episode, we examine the hotly contested issue of "quality," and why existing QRIS systems aren't always helpful for providers or families. 

Why do families, providers, and policymakers have such a hard time accessing the information they need, and how is that gap making an already strained system even harder to navigate? In this episode, we'll look at why the lack of data on supply, demand, cost, and more makes it challenging for policymakers to make informed decisions. 

Policy and legislation at the federal, state, and local levels form the foundation of what we refer to as our holistic "child care system." In this episode, we examine the history of child care legislation in the United States, the problems caused by siloed decision making, and the states that are making real progress on these issues today.

Last episode, we followed the money and found a significant gap between what quality child care costs and what families can afford to pay. But low margins and minimal compensation are just two of many issues providers are struggling with every day. From burdensome licensing regulations to building codes and ratios, this is a job that requires no small amount of sacrifice.