Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded

A severe shortage of child care staff is affecting military-run centers, leaving approximately 9,000 military children on waitlists and families struggling to find affordable and accessible care.

The nationwide staffing crisis has hit the child care sector hard, leading to a significant shortage of workers and leaving many families in a desperate search for affordable and accessible child care. In the military community, this crisis has taken a particularly acute toll, with approximately 9,000 military children languishing on waitlists for military-run child care centers.

The Biden administration has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is exploring options to address the staffing shortages and improve child care accessibility for military families. In a recent visit to Fort Benning, Georgia, Vice President Kamala Harris announced a new $100 million investment to support child care providers and expand child care options for military families.

Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded

However, experts say that more comprehensive solutions are needed to address the root causes of the child care crisis, which include low wages for child care workers and a lack of affordable training programs. Child care providers are often paid less than minimum wage, and many struggle to make ends meet. This has led to high turnover rates and difficulty attracting and retaining qualified staff.

In addition, the cost of child care is often prohibitively expensive for military families. In 2023, the national average price of child care was $11,582. In Virginia, the average annual price of center-based infant care exceeded $15,000 in 2022. These costs are often more than what the average family spends on housing.

Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded

The impact of the child care crisis extends beyond families and into the broader economy. A 2023 report found that the U.S. child care crisis has an economic toll of $122 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue every year. Tens of thousands of people miss work every month due to child care issues.

A 2023 study estimated the annual economic impact of the infant-toddler child care crisis on Virginia to be over $3.1 billion in lost earnings, productivity, and revenue. In 2021, approximately one in five Alabama parents missed work due to child care challenges – the highest rate in the nation.

Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded

To address these challenges, Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) have introduced the Child Care Workforce Act and the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. These proposals aim to increase the supply of child care workers and reduce costs for families.

The Child Care Workforce Act would create a competitive grant program for states, localities, and tribes to boost pay for child care workers. The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act would expand access to the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, increase the dependent care assistance program deduction, and increase the Employer-Provided Child Care Tax Credit.

Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded

Together, these measures would lower the cost of child care for families, expand the choices parents have, encourage businesses to support child care supply, and provide more resources to child care providers and the child care workforce.

While these proposals represent a step in the right direction, experts say that more comprehensive solutions are needed to address the systemic issues that have plagued the child care sector for decades. These solutions include increasing investments in early childhood education, expanding access to training and professional development opportunities for child care workers, and providing financial assistance to low-income families to help them afford child care.

Child Care Crisis: Shortage Leaves Thousands of Military Families Stranded