Child care is a problem for employers, too. Now more of them want solutions – WBUR
By Yasmin Amer
For almost a year after the pandemic hit, the founder and CEO of Maven Construction in Dorchester found herself with an added — unofficial — title.
"Chief child care coordinator," recalled JocCole "JC" Burton. It "was a task and a job I didn't know I would ever have."
But Burton had to think about child care to keep her business running. She needed to care for her own 8-year-old daughter when her elementary school closed, and later when her classes went remote. Many of her staff had kids who couldn't go to school, either. So, some parents brought their kids to work with them and took turns watching them.
"We had to turn ourselves into a little temporary day care," Burton said. "There were offices that we utilized where we had to set aside space for kids."
Schools have since reopened, but for parents with kids under 5, child care is a lingering problem…
That's why the coalition is putting its weight behind state legislation that would pave the way for more long-term investments in child care and early education.
"I think that this is best solved through public-private partnership," Weber said. "Certainly it’s not going to be achievable by continuing to place it on the shoulders of families alone.”