Working women are disproportionately burdened by the lack of child care and paid leave, and have left the workforce in droves during the pandemic because of it. This has resulted in what many have called the “she-cession,” the first economic downturn in history where more women have become (and often stayed) unemployed than men. The she-cession has been particularly challenging for women who hold low-paid jobs and women of color, who are less likely to have access to affordable child care or paid leave.

While paid leave and child care have always been a need for working parents, the pandemic has made clear the costs to our economy and working families when we do not have them. Many more women would join the workforce if affordable child care options were available, or if they had paid leave that allowed them to take time to care for their families during personal or medical emergencies. Affordable, inclusive, and equitable child care and paid leave policies return huge benefits for families, communities, and the economy. They add jobs to the economy and increase employee retention, productivity, and morale. They are key to a family’s economic self-sufficiency, the well-being of children, and meaningful prosperity for all people. Contact Congress NOW to urge them to include investments in our child care infrastructure and paid family and medical leave in the budget package!