{"id":7085,"date":"2023-04-26T21:04:08","date_gmt":"2023-04-26T21:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/business\/?p=7085"},"modified":"2023-04-26T21:04:08","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T21:04:08","slug":"the-role-government-plays-in-caregiving-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/business\/the-role-government-plays-in-caregiving-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"It Takes Two: The Role Government Plays in Caregiving Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For a long time, America has been considered the greatest country on earth, where the American dream meant an opportunity for individuals to put down roots, work hard, and take control of their livelihood. Today, that dream seems to be a little harder to see, with the cost of living skyrocketing, a recession on the horizon, and more and more families struggling to secure care for their loved ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The care industry has been in crisis even before the pandemic turned our world upside down. But both employers and politicians alike continue to wait for the other to step in and provide solutions for our inadequate childcare system. And while they play this high stakes game of chicken, working parents, and specifically working mothers, are quite literally paying the price. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S needs to catch up<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Progress towards a better future for our children is possible and already in motion in other parts of the world, yet America finds itself behind. In 2021, a report<\/a> conducted by UNICEF evaluated wealthy countries around the globe and ranked them according to the strength and effectiveness of their child care policies in four critical criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Their family leave policies<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Access to child care<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The quality of that child care<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. How affordable it is for working families to secure that child care for their children<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The United States ranked 40th out of 41 established and wealthy countries for our national childcare policies, beating only Slovakia for last place due to our lack of paid parental leave, the rising cost of care<\/a>, and the fact that 51% of people in the United States live in a child care desert<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What does an investment in childcare look like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    In order for an investment in childcare<\/a> to truly make an impact, policies must be able to deliver care options that are of high quality, affordable, and accessible for families of all incomes, regions, and care needs. This could look like offering soon-to-be working parents paid parental leave, subsidizing child care benefits after the child is born, or providing public resources that equip parents with the support they need when raising their children. The most in-demand types of child care<\/a> include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n