Childcare and Women's Equity

When I read in the newspaper that President Obama Obama "pledges to pursue the fight for women's equality," I was proud, yet disappointed (although not surprised) that affordable, quality and accessible childcare was not part of the proposed solution. His commitment to eliminate pay disparities between men and women and help women pursue higher-paying professions once dominated by men is honorable, and he is correct that more women than men live in poverty. But while workplace discrimination based on sex and societal beliefs about gender norms (i.e., girls don't like math) surely have an effect on what professions women pursue and what is considered fair pay for their work, I am going to argue that for women who decide to have children, the cost and availability of childcare have a bigger impact on their professional opportunities and financial security.

Workers without children have more freedom in budget and time to accept a meaningful job, even if the pay is lower, round out their skills with volunteer or unpaid work, or go back to school. When childcare is so expensive, (in the Twin Cities, infant care in a center costs at least $12,000 annually - that's out of your take-home pay after taxes, retirement savings, health care accountant contributions, etc. have been taken out) members of our workforce who become parents are forced to make decisions about childcare that could affect their career potential (not to mention family life and costs to society). One parent stays home or switches to part-time. (Usually the lower wage-earner, which is often the woman.) Parents work opposite shifts to avoid daycare costs at the sacrifice of family life. Someone switches to more flexible free-lance work, but sacrifices job security, health benefits and a retirement savings. Or they cobble together a network of caregivers and take time off work every time a caregiver is unavailable. Even though I believe that most moms and dads nowadays approach childcare decisions as a team, more women than men still make one of the career sacrifices I just described. Maybe it's because women, on average, still earn less than their partners, (whether because of their career choice or because they married someone older with more years of work experience) or because their careers are considered less demanding (meaning they can be the ones to skip work when a caregiver is absent or more easily opt back into the workforce after an absence).

For those at the lowest end of the wage scale, affording daycare is even more of a struggle, and the career options and advance more limited. How can we expect a parent to go back to school if she (or he) has no one affordable and reliable to look after the children while in class and studying? How can a person accept a job if no daycare is conveniently located with the hours needed (particularly evenings and weekends)? When more women than men are raising children alone and more women live in poverty, lack of affordable, quality and accessible childcare becomes an issue of women's equality.